


Hurting Is Yummy

by derplolplayer



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood and Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, How Do I Tag, Multi, Romance, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:24:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 211,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20045200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derplolplayer/pseuds/derplolplayer
Summary: Can Evelynn truly love? When Noxus Commander James Holland is betrayed on the battlefield, he's "rescued" by The Agony's Embrace. She plans to kill him after some fun, but he proves to be unlike any man she's had. Learning of his need for revenge, Evelynn forms a shaky alliance, but for a reason, she never thought was possible. Hope you enjoy! Non-Canon, Violence, Death, Lemons.





	1. Prologue

The Noxian invasion of Ionia was underway. The Empire itself was feared by many in the world. This wasn't the first time they'd invaded another land, but it was different with Ionia. It was a land, rich in magical energy and proved to be a fertile ground for Noxus to plunder in search of artifacts of great power to serve as weapons of mass destruction, all in an attempt to fuel the Empire's never-ending expansion with the added benefit of maintaining an edge on Demacia.

That's where the Noxian Elite Commander James Holland came into play. He was originally from Zaun, growing up with The Mad Chemist Singed, though they had grown apart significantly in the past years.

James rose through the ranks using his skills in combat, strategy, and his background from his homeland. He was an inventor in his spare time. The man had developed a full suit of armor donned entirely in black with a skull like helmet. In addition to this, he designed his own Designated Marksman Rifle along with a sidearm. This allowed the soldier to engage his enemies on the battlefield much differently as opposed to the usual rush in close quarters.

He was a force to be reckoned with.

Swain chose the man to lead a squad of elite soldiers into the backlines of an Ionian stronghold. It was a heavily fortified area, but the Noxian invasion over the past few months had driven the warriors back to what seemed to be the places last stand. Inside of that structure was a map.

This map would reveal all of Ionia's greatest resources and artifacts for the empires unquenchable thirst for control. What they could find would grant them the ability to create weapons beyond their expectations and in addition to this, create more resources similar to James's. This was of most importance to Swain.

James agreed to this.

* * *

It was the evening before the attack. The man knew the essential of this mission, but he couldn't sleep. Something was troubling him.

The man stood with his arm stretched outward against the cold open walkway to the balcony. The moons pale rays shining very weakly into the bedroom with the wind blowing the curtains back with a light whistle. James was in his pants with a little bandana covering his mouth. He had an unattractive scar thanks to Singed when they were younger and he preferred not to show it, even if the only one in the room was his partner Jade.

He knew it wasn't just the both of them.

James's eyes tensed up and squinted. Across on top of another house, he could see a figure. It had a feminine body that was curvy. Two pointed tendrils moving around with a menacing look.

James crossed his arms, leaning fully against the wall with his head titled.

The two tendrils then began to glow pink at the edge, catching James's attention, his eyes widening more, but still maintaining his squinting. Atop the figures head, two horns began to glow as well, and then a wide grin came onto the figure.

The man cautiously moved back slightly. He knew it'd seen him, but was toying just for now. James reached for his rifle, keeping it out of sight.

Now staring tensely, a pair of eerie pink eyes were seen. James brought his weapon up, using the scope to get a closer look. The toothy grin was still on the figure and its teeth opened. A long tongue sprawled out and the thing stretched its arms. Following the movements, James saw it motion its finger to him, gesturing…_**"Come here."**_

He breathed heavily, bringing the scope down and seeing the figure had suddenly disappeared. His eyes were wide open, mouth also doing the same under the piece of clothing.

"You okay?"

James exclaimed abruptly at the sound of his loves comforting voice. She was using the blanket from the bed to cover up her nude body.

"Yes! Yes. I-, I'm fine." He said.

The woman gave him a weak smile, bringing her hand to his bandana.

"Really wish you didn't wear that." She cooed.

Jade rested her head on his chest, gently rocking against him. James instinctively comforted her in his arms. He lifted the bandana briefly to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"You need rest my love. You have an important day tomorrow."

"I know, I know. Just… thought the scope could use some adjustments." He lied.

She uttered a small sound of amusement. Jade removed her head from James's chest. The man leaned down closer to his lover, their noses touching and temples pressing together. He removed the bandana, revealing the scar across the entirety of his lower face. Jade cooed at him and cupped his cheeks. They closed the gap and kissed. It was short, but it had burst of passion. They broke it, smiling lovingly.

"Come on, let's get back to bed my love."

James reluctantly agreed, taking one last peek out of the window, checking if the figure had returned.

It didn't.

His partner was right, he needed some rest.

She snuggled up into his chest, their hands grasping one another and pulling them closer for embracement.

His eyes closed and drifted off.


	2. Stalk and Seduce

The sun shined brightly in the morning through the glass panes of the door into the bedroom. Jade was sound asleep with her body on it's side facing the wall. James was donned in his black suited armour while sitting on the edge of the bed. He slipped on a glove and stood up. He could feel his lovers' hands sneaking up his side.

"Mm, James." She whispered.

He let out a nearly exasperated sigh before choosing to chuckle softly. He stood up with her hands leaving. James turned to face her. His brows rose when seeing she was frowning.

"Jade?"

She threw herself at him, arms and legs wrapping tightly around his armor. James's arms did the same to her. She sobbed lightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Just… just be careful out there… please. I don't wanna lose you."

"Hey. Hey." James stared into her eyes while stroking one gloved hand along her silky black hair. "You're not gonna lose me. I'm coming back."

"Promise?"

James took off his masks mouthpiece briefly, smiling at his love. He placed a passionate kiss on her lips, their eyes closing with contented moans.

"I promise." He replied.

She sniffled slightly and smiled with tears sliding down her cheeks. He smiled back.

The sound of horse clops could be heard outside of the residence. James looked to the direction before turning back to his partner. He let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Well, I gotta go now." He sighed.

"It's alright, you'll back be in a few days probably." Jade giggled.

"If I'm lucky, I'll be back by tonight if they've managed to create some kind of quick transportation to get us there. I may need some medical treatment after such a day." James said playfully.

Jade laughed at his words and placed one more kiss on him before getting off.

"I'll see you later Jade. I love you."

"I love you James."

The man put the mouthpiece back on and holstered his rifle over his chest. He patted his side pocket to check for the sidearm and it was there. He opened the door and exited the house.

…

* * *

The ride to the location would take some time to arrive. James chose to relax as this ride would probably be the last relaxation he'd have for a few days. He leaned back, hands coming together as a makeshift pillow for his head. The man looked out as well, admiring the view.

"_**Mmm."**_

His arms unfolded immediately, looking around with slight franticness. James heard a seductive moan and wasn't sure where it came from. He peeked his head out of the carriage, scanning both front and back to see if anyone was there besides the driver.

Then something caught his eye.

James saw a figure who had it's back turned strutting down the street. It was sunny outside, but the person had no shadow's reflecting off.

"_**How 'bout a kiss?"**_

In the blink of an eye James found himself face to face with the unknown figure.

Everything froze.

Lashers were sprawled out and aiming at James's neck. Clawed hands digging into his shoulders. A longue tongue hanging out with wide, lusty golden eyes.

"_**The things I'm gonna do to you."**_

James's body unfroze. He fell back with a thud and yell of shock. Quickly getting back up to look out the window, the thing was gone. He panted heavily and took out a bottle of water to drink in an attempt to relax.

"Everything okay sir?" The driver asked.

"Uh, yep! Everything's good back here!" James replied. "How long until we reach the destination?"

"About 5 minutes."

"Thank you!"

…

* * *

James entered the large structure. His rifle was still slung over his shoulder as he paced to the stairs. The man walked up 6 flights and continued down the hallway. He passed several rooms, seeing Noxian soldiers training or testing out new weapons.

"Commander Holland!" A familiar voice said.

James turned to the direction, seeing a woman with red hair walking towards him. She had a scar down her left eye.

Katarina Du Couteau, The Sinister Blade.

She was in her usual uniform, dark leather with her jacket unbuttoned that exposed her chest concealed by a black breastplate. James didn't see it as an effective battle uniform, but she was an assassin after all.

"Sinister Blade. Good to see you!" James said extending his hand.

The woman grasped it tightly, shaking with force and a firm smile. James knew of her aggressive and slightly dominant attitude.

"What're you still doing here? I thought you were supposed to be on the front lines for the invasion of Ionia."

"I will be there in about 10 minutes." She replied laughing.

"Huh?"

Katarina looked around briefly to see that no one was listening. She leaned closer to James.

"Between you and me, we've found a way to open a brief portal that can transport anybody to any part of the world." She whispered. James's eyes showed shock. "Yes it's true. It's obviously just a recent discovery and we've tried it a few times."

"Can you use it as many times as possible?"

"We thought so but study showed that after doing it a fourth time, you'll immediately combust."

James shuddered at the mention of the study. He could only picture those poor unfortunate souls.

"Details on why are limited, but it's something we'll use to our advantage. I believe actually that one soldier in your unit knows how to do it."

The man immediately glared through his helmets visor. There was only one person who could pull of a stunt like that. They had to be a mage.

"Culda Graves." James sharply exhaled.

Katarina chuckled at his words.

"That's the one! You two know each other?" She asked.

"We used to be lovers." James answered coldly.

The mans helmet tilted to the floor as he took in the fact he'd be partnered with this woman. They were truly once lovers, but he broke it off and they'd been rivals ever since.

"Damn. What happened?" Katarina asked.

James could've said anything.

* * *

Culda was a merciless woman. Her past wasn't pretty, but in this world one rarely does have a clean past. She came from a higher family, often using her riches to gloat and brag. This led her to getting into fights a lot in school as a child which she often started. She always fought back, but often lost the fights. She couldn't win with strength.

Tired of being humiliated again and again along with her parents showing no support of her violent ways, Culda turned to her father's library, searching for books on forbidden magic. She finally came across the right one. She'd spend hours in his study, reading up on the most powerful and dangerous spells. Culda tested them on the families' pets with messy results.

Eventually, her parents noticed this and confronted her in the study. Her father furiously shouted at her to give the book up and to end the forbidden practice. Culda's mother sobbed when seeing her own daughter cackle at the demise of their beloved pets. Her father had enough and grabbed the book from her hands, making the girl enraged while repeatedly screaming **"No!".**

Culda had become familiar enough with the books spells. With a few choice words, she casted a spell at her own father. He dropped the book and grasped his head as he yelled with pain. The man's head expanded and popped like a balloon, splattering blood everywhere.

Screaming hysterically with fear, Culda's mother grabbed a knife and charged her daughter while also sobbing. Culda casted another spell, this time with her mother bursting into flames and dissolving into ash as she screamed with agony.

The girl was left panting, covered in her fathers' blood and mother's ashes. She walked over his corpse, picking up the book and cradling it in her arms. A giggle sounded with it turning into maniacal laughter from the deadly girl.

Culda used her newfound spells and magic to wrong everyone that doubted her or physical hurt her. Homes were burned and innocent families of the people she had a problem with were lost.

She was evil.

It wasn't until she was an adult that Culda learned to control her temper and anger, to an extent anyway. Everyone she had a problem with had either left the state or was dead. She was proud of her accomplishments. Choosing to celebrate, she went to her favourite pub. Unfortunately for her, several drunkards made advances much to her displeasure, but given the publicity, she couldn't use her magic.

The woman left the pub with the intent to return home peacefully. She was grabbed by the drunkards who hid in a dark alley where they gagged her mouth immediately, rendering her unable to use her spells. A muffled scream came from her as the men laughed.

"Ahem." A man's voice said.

The four drunks turned with the woman held in front, seeing a lone figure standing defiantly, both arms by his sides and fingers moving.

"Get a load of this guy!" One man said with laughter. "Trying to save the damsel in distress!"

Another one brought out a switchblade knife. The newcomer scoffed at this and swiftly brought out a sidearm with immediately shooting at one of the drunks' knees. He stumbled over in pain while grasping his now bleeding kneecap. They immediately dropped Culda and retreated in clumsy fashion with the wounded man stumbling.

Stepping into the moonlight was James. He crouched down, helping the woman up and taking the gag out. She smiled at his kindness.

"Thank you." She said.

"You're very welcome miss."

James observed the woman. Her eyes were green, hair black with a mix of a little white and a loving smile.

"I'm James Holland."

"Culda Graves." She said extending her hand.

That evening the woman was insistent on returning to her residence with James coming along to keep her company. She didn't seem to be affected by his scar. They had a few drinks, shared a few laughs, but it wasn't until Culda returned to the room in a brassiere and panties with some stockings. She gave him a lustful smile and James stood no chance when she pounced on him followed with an assault of kisses.

They really hit it off that evening. The relationship only lasted for a few months though when the woman opened up more to James. She informed him of her past, what she did with her powers and how she would use these to advance in the ranks of the Noxian Military. James was still climbing the ladder during this time, but he was disgusted by her motives.

She would do anything to climb the ranks, going so far as to kill anyone who would try to restrain her full potential even if it was clearly not allowed.

He showed no hesitation in breaking it off which crushed Culda's heart, but also enraged her. A few months prior to the present day, she'd attempted to kill his lover Jade. Culda would make the woman's death as slow and painful as possible, believing Jade came onto James when he was with Culda and persuaded him to leave her.

**The woman was delusional.**

"Hmm, babe? You're home early." Jade giggled as she felt a gentle caress on her arm.

The gently feeling quickly turned into a sharp pain with Jade yelling in agony.

"Ah what the fuck James?!" She said getting up.

Jades expression turned from anger to fear when seeing a wicked grin on the woman towering over her. She held a knife that dripped the woman's blood.

"Fucking bitch." Culda spouted.

The woman kicked Jade off the bed with a loud thud emitting from the point of impact on the wall. Jade groaned in pain, but felt a force lift her off the floor and press her harshly into the wall.

"What do you want from me?!"

"I want you to scream! I want you to pay for stealing my man!"

"What?!"

Culda drove the knife into Jade's shoulder and she screamed in pain, though it was muffled when held back with her teeth clenched as she writhed. Culda twisted and turned the knife in her flesh. Tears escaped the corner's of Jade's eyes, clenched shut through the unbearable pain on her shoulder. Blood leaked out and dripped onto the floor as Culda cackled madly.

"Jade baby? I'm home!" James's voice sounded.

James turned to see his ex holding his love in the air with her magic while cutting her with a knife. Only one quarter of a second passed before Culda found him charging her with ferocity, rage, and adrenaline. She managed to drop Jade before being violently slammed against the wall. Sounds of heavy blows landing with blood splats echoed with Jades horrid scream. Culda's face was nearly unrecognizable by the time James ended his pummeling. He'd have probably killed her if Jade didn't step in to calm him down.

He could've done anything to the defenseless and bloodied woman. He had the option to grab her knife and do what she attempted with Jade. He could've killed her right there.

But he didn't.

James Holland was a better person than Culda Graves.

He alerted the authorities and they took away the woman. He didn't expect her to be locked up for long given her connections and abilities, but he sent her a message that night not to bring harm to his loved ones.

Now he was partnered with her on the most important mission in Noxian History.

* * *

"I broke it off..." James replied to Katarina coldly "…for good reason."

The redhead just shrugged at his answer.

"Well anyhow, I'm supposed to lead you to your unit so shall we?" She gestured.

"We shall." James replied with a more euthanasic tone.

The pair walked down the hallways where some soldiers stood aside to give a salute to them given their positons and influence. Finally, they arrived.

"This is where I leave you Commander." Katarina said with a little bow.

James smirked under his mask. She didn't like-like him, but she had an admiration for his work.

"I'll see you soon on the battlefield eh?"

"Hopefully!" Katarina replied walking. "Wanna buy the first round when we get back?"

"Shit if we get through this I'll buy the whole goddamn bar!" James retorted with a laugh.

The man took a deep breath, knowing that this encounter wasn't going to go well. He turned the knob, pushing it open.

"ATTENTION!" He commanded with his voice.

The three soldiers didn't seem like they were lounging around before James made his appearance. He was slightly impressed by this. He entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"Commander Holland." A friendly voice said.

James recognised it. A soft, gentle feminine voice from Riven. She was in her Crimson Elite uniform, arms behind her back with a straight posture, helmet set aside and her white hair exposed.

"Ah Riven." James said coming over to her. "What an unexpected and lovely surprise."

The two had a pleasant history together unlike the one with Culda. Before he was a Commander, James and Riven were often put in the same unit for tasks ranging from patrols to battles on the front line with rival powers. They were good friends, but not lovers.

"Ready to show those Ionian's how real soldiers fight?" She asked with enthusiasm

James chuckled at her question. He gave her a nod before turning to the other person who was also dressed in the same armour as Riven, except for the gender type. He seemed to be in his twenties, short brown hair with blue eyes.

"State your name soldier." He said with a more strict tone.

"Private Maddoc Gibbs sir!" The young man replied with a straight posture and salute.

James lifted his head slightly, observing the boy.

"What're your specialities?"

"Demolition sir!"

"Good, good. We'll be needing that for this mission. Are you sure you're up for this son?"

"Sir yes sir!" Maddoc replied. "I wouldn't be in this unit if I didn't know my stuff!"

"You can drop the "sir" shit kid. It's kind of embarrassing and repetitive." James casually said.

Maddoc's shoulders slumped slightly, fearing he'd failed to impress his higher-up.

"Apologies, Commander Holland."

James chuckled again. He put his hand on Maddocs' shoulder.

"I already like you kid. You'll do just fine." He said with an unseen smirk.

Maddoc weakly smiled back and James moved away.

"Here we go." He thought with an eye roll.

The Commander wouldn't like this, but he had a job to do. Any problems he had could be expressed after it was over. James faced the deadly and rather psychotic mage, Culda in the same uniform as the others.

"State your name." He said bluntly.

"Culda Graves your liege." She said with a little bow.

James rolled his eyes in annoyance. He couldn't stop himself for what he said next.

"Alright enough. I know you and you know me. There's no need for the act Culda." He said.

The woman pouted at the man's words.

"Aww, you don't look happy to see me." She said with a curled lower lip.

"Oh it's always to see you." James replied with a hoarse voice. He gestured to his squad. "We're requested at the briefing. Come on." He ordered.

* * *

The elite soldiers followed their leader out of the room. Walking down the hall, more lower class Noxian soldiers stood aside with the usual salutes. Culda raised her head high with a proud smirk while Maddoc and Riven just nodded.

James quickened his pace. The quicker he'd get this meeting over with, the quicker the mission would be set in motion and done. He groaned when he noticed Culda sneak up beside him with a giggle.

"Soooo how's my miserable boo boo been doing?" She snickered. "How does it feel knowing we're equals now?

"We're not together anymore you miserable woman." James snapped. "You tried to kill my lover."

"Oh did I?" She asked with a fake gasp. "Reminds me, how is that little bitch Jade doing?"

Normally people in the military wouldn't snap under such words, but this was very personal between the two. Maddoc's eyes widened with Riven doing the same with a gasp when James violently slammed Culda against the wall, his arm pressed against her throat. The force was strong enough to leave a little dent, but the woman only grunted at the force. She could see James's eyes glowing with rage through his red visor. All the attention in the hall was drawn to the standoff.

James and Culda were roughly the same height, with him being only slightly taller.

"Let's get a few things straight you fucking cunt." James snapped. "First, don't you ever, ever mention Jade. If you speak her name even if it's unintentional. I won't hesitate to break one of your legs. Second, we're not equals. WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR EQUALS. You think because you're the same rank as me it means we're equals? You're a corrupted weakling who resorted to forbidden arts to destroy those who opposed your wishes. And thirdly, you have nobody that loves you."

Culda opened her mouth to protest, but James cut her off.

"You have no family or friends. You have connections, that's it. You killed your family when you were a child because you were too ignorant to see your errors. One day you will die, and nobody will remember you or weep for you. You'll have the legacy of a parasite."

The woman was clearly furious and rather hurt by his words. She glared at him and prepared to cast a spell.

"What the hell's going on here?!" A voice shouted.

Everyone's attention was directed to a woman standing in the centre of the hallway. She had a staff in her hand and her other on her hip.

Leblanc, The Deceiver and the oldest friend of Swain. It was odd to see her in this rather serious stance as opposed to her usual smug playfulness.

"Commander restrain yourself!" She ordered to James.

A low growl sounded from the masked man, but he let go of his adversary. Culda grasped her neck as she took more even breaths.

"Next time I won't be merciful." James snapped.

Culda glared at him as he went to Leblanc, Riven and Maddoc following in suite while taking a brief look at the woman. She noticed the other soldiers were also looking at her.

"WHAT'RE YOU LOOKING AT?!" She shouted in a blood curdling voice.

The soldiers quickly went on their way with little shudders. Culda stood up, glaring tensely at James who followed Leblanc.

"_**That… was hot."**_

That voice again.

James quickly turned around, seeing a blue woman peeking out at the end of the hallway. He briefly caught a glimpse of the unknown female before she dashed out of sight, a delightful and sinister giggle sounding after.

"Commander?" Leblanc's voice asked bringing him back to the present.

The man blinked his eyes quickly with a little shake of his head. He faced The Deceiver.

"Are you alright?"

"_Jesus probably the third time somebody's asked me that today." _James thought with an eye roll. _"What's happening to me?"_

The man gave a nod to Leblanc who showed him into the room.

The briefing was about to begin.


	3. Let's play hard to get

"Our scouts have reported and confirmed that this building is in fact the final holdout in this Ionian area. It's an ancient fortress and the map you are seeking is somewhere in the interior. We've been unable to get enough information to confirm if the structure has a hidden series of catacombs underneath." Swain explained as he ran his fingers along the map.

The Elite squad was being briefed by Swain. Leblanc was standing on the left of him, merely observing. The Grand General's personal guards were also present, standing in formation.

"The mission is simple. We want this map. If we succeed in doing so, we will have the locations of every artifact and most valuable resources in the Ionian lands and with it, we will be able to gain a huge tactical advantage over Demacia. And we'll do all of this with minimal risk to the Noxian Elite." Swain continued. "Evaine! Fill them in on the details."

The Deceiver stepped forward. This was the one time she was being entirely truthful and wasn't playing around. She ran her fingers along the map like Swain did.

"Alright, you'll be teleporting from here to the backlines so you better be ready for a significant change in atmosphere. The bulk of our army present on the field is pinned down by an unbreakable tower. The Ionians could hold out for days at a time, and their command has been reluctant to send more troops, but with their soldiers now in a last stand, the Ionian High Command had deployed numerous ships that will arrive there in a matter of days."

"Why couldn't we just teleport in before?" Riven asked.

"Because the area had a magical barrier around it that prevented such spells from being casted in. Our army succeeded in breaking it and with the situation there now, your entry should go unnoticed by the majority of the enemy."

"I'm assuming the tower is where I come in?" Maddoc asked.

"Correct." James cut in.

Leblanc sighed and continued.

"Your demolition experience plays an important part Gibbs. Our bombardments against the front of the tower are useless, but there's always a weak spot with these things. You'll plant your explosives and when they detonate, the tower will fall and the fortress will be free to storm with the assistance of our troops."

"How long will it take us to reach the tower?" James asked.

"Predictions show that reaching the target will take no more than fifteen minutes from your entry point. When that's taken care of, you'll rendezvous with Katarina and Colonel Vermelo who will retrieve the map while you hold the position." Swain began again.

Culda, who remained silent through the majority of this briefing, rose a brow in question.

"I'm sorry what? I thought we were retrieving the map?"

"With respect Culda…" Swain said rather sternly. "…I know that you're eager to show your devotion and skills within this military, but this op is too important to be put at the risk of failure due to someone's ego."

The woman scowled at the man's words. Her breathing became heavier.

"After the map has been successfully retrieved, you'll move out of the area and then you will all teleport back here with the works of Culda." Leblanc said. "It has a short window so if you fall behind, you'll be left behind."

"Do you understand?" Swain commanded.

The four Elite soldiers gave a salute to answer his question.

"Good. You will be deploying in exactly five minutes. Collect your gear and weapons and prepare for battle."

"For Noxus!" Riven shouted with a raised fist.

James chuckled and did the same with Maddoc following too. Culda reluctantly raised her fist, though very lowly.

…

* * *

"Please, please, please, please?" A begging voice said.

An annoyed sigh sounded through the lightless palace. A woman, or assuming anyway, was pouring herself some wine. She had several spider legs coming from her back, constantly moving around. Crimson orbs for eyes that would make anyone freeze in terror given the right stare. An hourglass figure with pointed and heeled feet.

Elise The Spider Queen.

"I told you the answer is no." She replied.

One would think she was talking to herself until a figure came from the already dark areas of the palace. The same one who'd been stalking James.

Evelynn The Agony's Embrace, gifted with a body that no man could resist.

"Pleaseeeee love? I promise I'll make it up to you." She begged.

Elise took a sip while not taking her red orbs off the blue woman, brows raised all the while.

"How could you possibly make it up to me?" She asked rhetorically.

"I could convince Shen to come visit you again! Don't you remember his lovely tongue?" Evelynn said with a toothy grin and squinting eyes.

"What?"

Evelynn held that look for a second before quickly breaking it and looking away.

"Never mind." She said with a blunter tone.

"Why do you always want to use my spells for your little "appointments"? The Spider Queen said with quotations. "You know they're not made for that."

The Agony's Embrace gave a carless shrug while looking around.

"Oh typical Elise, always so serious and never knows how to have a good time." She said with a blow of her hair.

The pale woman rolled her eyes at this. She was hoping for a time of peace and quiet, but Evelynn was persistent.

"Is this man really that important to you?"

Evelynn quickly turned back with her eyes glowing and mouth having a big smile. She crawled up to The Spider Queen, the arousing aura of the demon almost tempted Elise to kiss her.

"He's everything I'm looking for. A good spot in the military, a beautiful home, and one incredibly… _**sexy lover**_." She said with emphasis on the last part. "Not to mention the way he handled someone who was annoying him to the brink. He's definitely someone who likes it rough and I always love a good fight before getting down to the real fun."

The woman then formed a puppy face and the combined aura was hopeless to resist for Elise.

"Fine." She said.

Evelynn gasped and placed a long kiss on Elise, her fangs slightly clenching the woman's lower lip which resulted in her growling and pushing the demon away who giggled.

"But this is the last time I'm doing you this kind of favor without a payment. Next time, you'll have to do something for me first." Elise snapped.

The succubus only grinned widely, clearly too wrapped with excitement at meeting her "dream" man.

"You name your price love. I'll do anything next time." Evelynn giggled.

The Spider Queen hummed in response and mumbled a few choice words. A portal opened close to the succubus, the mage crossing her arms with a smug smile now. Evelynn looked with concern.

"But… do you know where he-?"

"It's me sweetheart." Elise retorted. "I know where you want to go. Just go through the portal and he'll be there waiting. The rest is up to you."

Evelynn smiled and blew the queen a kiss before merrily skipping to the portal and jumping in. The mage snapped her fingers and it went away. She sat back down with her hand taking her wine glass.

"I really need to stop being so submissive to her. One day I'm just gonna flat out tell her to fuck me and that'll be it." She muttered to herself.

…

* * *

"Form up!" James ordered to his squad.

The Elite group of soldiers formed up behind their leader. Riven with her blade, Maddoc with his supplies along with a bow, and Culda with a magical staff for her spells. They stood before Swain and Leblanc.

"Opening the portal in three, two, one." An unknown speaker said.

A portal much like the one Elise casted appeared in front of the unit. James took a deep breath, his rifle grasped tightly and armed.

"Holland!" Swain shouted.

James turned to his Grand General, posture straight as usual.

"I'll spare you the inspirational speech Commander. You know what to do!"

"Yes sir!" He replied.

James jumped through the portal, Riven and Maddoc following appropriately. Culda was stopped by Swain who glared at her.

"Remember, don't do anything stupid. I know how you and the Commander feel about one another, but you will keep those feelings out of the mission and follow the plan. Do you understand?"

Culda once again glared, but she gave an affirmative nod.

"Yes sir!"

The mage leaped through the portal to join her fellow soldiers.

* * *

It was dusk in the Ionian land. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the breeze was calm and peaceful. A little flower was blossoming gently.

A change of light happened around the plant and it was immediately crushed by a black boot that stepped from the portal. James sprinted to a nearby rock while crouching slightly to avoid the possibility of being shot by an unseen assailant. Riven, Maddoc, and Culda appeared through, landing with little grunts and joining their leader.

The squad observed ahead. A large tower stood with flaming objects being fired at it by presumably unseen catapults of the Noxian Army. Similar looking artillery was seen being fired back down with a stream of arrows from archers. James turned to his unit.

"We take down that tower, cripple their defences, then raid the structure! Swain wants the map and he's gonna get it!"

"Understood!" Riven replied speaking for the other two.

"Alright, let's move!" James ordered.

The man stood up and began to run towards the tower with the Crimson Elite soldiers following.

Not too far up below his position was Evelynn. She peeked out, smiling when seeing James.

** _"That's it love, let your guard down."_ **

James shook off the words this time, though his eyes twitched under his helmet as he kept running. Evelynn was rather surprised by this.

"Ooooh just seeing him resist it just makes me want him more!" She squealed. "No matter, he'll still break... eventually."

The woman entered into her Demon Shade, or in other words her true form. She crouched down like a predator on the prowl.

**"Let's play hard to get."**

Evelynn began to follow, or stalk, the squad to the battle.


	4. Betrayal and Capture

The Crimson Elites' continued pacing to the tower. They occasionally came across bodies of deceased Noxian soldiers. As they got closer, they could hear more explosions and the occasional shouts from Ionian soldiers. James was surprised they didn't encounter any yet.

Then they arrived at an outpost that was occupied by their enemy.

"We got Ionians! Up top and below!" He alerted before pointing to Riven and Culda. "You two take the ones below, me and Maddoc got the ones up high!"

There was a lone soldier up top who noticed the unit and alerted his comrades before he was shot in the head by James's rifle. Maddoc and James turned their attention to the new arriving soldiers, dropping them like flies the moment they exited the doorway before they needed to reload with the Ionians shooting back.

Riven and Culda took cover closer to the enemy soldiers. Immediately the Ionians charged Riven who readied her blade. She parred the soldier and kicked him off before swinging around and blocking the other sword aimed for her neck. She sent her blade through the soldier, blood splattering out behind. Culda fired lethal magic at more approaching soldiers as Riven yanked the blade from the corpse.

A few minutes passed before the battle finally came to an end, the Crimson Elite's emerging victorious though their clothing was a bit messy, particularly Riven's.

"Advance! We're almost to the tower!" James shouted.

They continued to advance onwards, unbeknownst that in the aftermath, the crimson soaked ground was being cleaned up by Evelynn. She lapped up what she could before resuming her prowl.

The Crimson Elite finally reached the back of the tower, though they came upon a heavily entrenched group of Ionians, all of them archers.

"More Ionians ahead!"

James and Maddoc managed to each shoot down one before taking cover from the heavy return fire.

"Dammit their dug in! Riven, Maddoc, get around and flank them!"

Obeying their commander, Riven went in first around an alternative path with Maddoc following close behind. She prepared her blade and her prediction was correct when she swiftly ducked an Ionian's blade. She came back up and decapitated the soldier with a war cry, blood spurting from their body as they fell. Maddoc shot an arrow at a new arrival that pierced through the chest. Two more soldiers came around with Riven striking them down brutally.

Culda shot more lethal magic at some soldiers who peeked up, their heads exploding in unison from the crackling spell. An archer let out a cry and vaulted over the defenses, charging against James who saw this.

The Ionian was quick, but James was quicker. They vaulted over the Commanders cover, attempting to kick him. James reeled back easily before swiping his rifle across his opponents' face, stunning them. He brought out his knife, stabbing the soldiers stomach before sending it upward under the man's throat and slicing through his head. He retreated his weapon and resumed shooting at the archers. He noticed Maddoc and Riven behind the Ionians.

"Get an explosive in there!" He shouted.

Maddoc nodded and armed one of his explosives. He aimed back and threw it in. The split unit covered their heads behind their cover as the Ionians realized the situation.

An explosion sounded with blood splattering everywhere with some parts of the once intact soldiers flying too. The four Elite Soldiers emerged victoriously from their spots and continued onward.

"Alright we're here! Riven with me! Check for any possible hiding Ionians."

James and Riven braced themselves against the walls between the tower's back entrance, checking if it was an ambush. James went in first, scanning the area with his rifle as Riven followed close behind. After checking every spot, they eased down a bit.

"It's all clear here, get to work." James ordered to Maddoc.

"Yes sir."

The young soldier began his task, choosing which areas would be the most vulnerable. Culda explored around the area, seeing if there was anything that caught her attention.

Something did.

The woman went to a note on the wall. It was written in Ionian language, but she'd studied all the languages of the world during her life. She was a mage after all. She squinted her eyes as she read over.

"**Last resort scenario: In the event that the fortress is infiltrated by our enemies, we will resort to offsite firebombing of the structure. We cannot let the locations fall into enemy hands."**

– **Signed Ionian Sergeant Zelos.**

Culda felt the need to share this with her comrades, but decided not to. She slipped the paper into her uniforms pocket and resumed looking around.

"So how're things with you and Jade?" Riven asked despite the situation.

James sighed in response with an eye roll. He turned to the girl.

"Why are you asking this now?" He said with a slight glare of annoyance.

"Because…" She droned off, looking away briefly. Riven bit her lower lip and looked down. "Goddammit, James please listen to me. I need to know in case we don't make it tonight."

"Hey." He shot with a strict tone. "We're gonna get through this. We're gonna survive." James sighed again and took a deep breath. "What is it you want to know?"

"James… is there really a chance for us?" Riven asked calmly.

The man closed his eyes as he took another long inhale before exhaling. He placed his hand firmly on the woman's back neck, bringing her closer, his eyes staring deeply into hers through the red visor.

"Riven, I'm very sorry to say this, but the answer is no." He said firmly. "I know we have a good history together and you're practically my best friend, but I can't see us as a couple."

He watched the woman smile weakly, her face turning slightly red despite the blood that managed to splatter on it. A tear escaped. James knew he was breaking her heart, but he had to be honest.

"You're one of the closest people in my life. I just… I just envy our relations as friends too much to risk changing it into something more that may not work out in the end. I know this hurts, but I'm only doing it because I care about you. I love you Riven, but only as a sister and a close friend."

The girl was clearly saddened by this, but she smiled weakly at her Commander. She loved him, but he would never return the same feelings and she accepted that. James brought Riven in for a tight hug. She simply rested in his armored chest at first, but eventually brought her arms up for an embrace. James momentarily removed the mouthpiece, placing a quick kiss on Rivens' head before putting it back on.

Riven broke the hug, a happier smile on her face knowing that this curiosity had finally been answered and put to rest. James wiped one tear off her and they stood up, Riven putting her helmet back on.

"How're we doing Maddoc?" James asked.

"Just got the explosives planted!" He replied.

"Alright our match is lite! Let's get out of here!"

The unit exited the tower, taking cover behind some rocks and waiting for the explosion.

_ **BOOM** _

The four of them peeked up, seeing the tower finally collapse down towards the direction of their next target. Screams of Ionian soldiers could be heard distantly before a loud crash occurred as the tower broke apart into rubble, shaking the ground and causing the squad to stumble briefly.

"Good work Maddoc! Time to rendezvous with Katarina and the Colonel!"

The Crimson Elite ran to the direction of the structure. They passed the rubble of the tower when running, seeing a few blood splats from crushed bodies. After a few minutes, they reached the entrance. There was a single seemingly fortified bunker in front of the gates. James raised a brow at this.

"Watch your pacing people, could be an ambush."

They cautiously began to make their way up, weapons ready in the event of an ambush. A sound of rapid fire was heard from the fortified structure and the unit barely managed to avoid the barrage of arrows. James braced himself against the rock, carefully peeking out and using his scope to get a better look.

The Ionians had fortified this entrance with an arrow turret. James didn't think they could invent such a thing, but he did build his own rifle and armor after all.

"I can't get a clear shot!" Maddoc exclaimed.

"Neither can I!" James replied. He soon got an idea and turned to his ex. "Culda, with me!"

The woman nodded and followed her leader to another rock as the turret was reloaded.

"Can you cast a shield with that thing?" He pointed to the staff.

She nodded in affirmation.

James then had Maddoc give him an explosive and turned back to Culda.

"Alright here's the plan! You and me are gonna charge that turret with you in front using your shield. Once we're close enough, I'll throw this into the bunker and take out the operator."

She widened her eyes at this, but reluctantly agreed. Riven raised her brows in suspicion.

"You're really going to let her take charge of your safety?"

James growled at this while Culda glared at the girl.

"We don't have time for this! The Colonel's counting on us! Go!"

Culda ran out with a shield that formed from the tip of her staff with James directly behind her. They hustled quickly as the arrows bounced off the shield harmlessly. Culda didn't have time to mention that it wouldn't last forever and she grabbed James and threw both of them into another rock just as the shield gave out. James gave her a confused look.

"I wanted to mention that it wasn't permanent but you didn't let me!"

The Commander sighed and looked up at the bunker. They were close, but not enough. Then he saw some arrows being fired at the narrow opening.

"Commander, take it out!" Maddoc shouted as he fired some more.

James didn't waste a second as the barrage of arrows turned to the direction of the soldier. He arrived and saw a long, but narrow opening to the bunker. He armed the explosive and tossed it in.

"Fire in the hole!"

A soldiers' scream could be heard before the explosion occurred. The back door to the structure was slightly blown open. The three soldiers regrouped with their leader.

"Good work everyone. Let's get through that door… and don't mind the mess." James said.

The group went through the destroyed interior. They could see more blood with a lone foot on the ground. Maddoc gagged slightly at this and Riven winced despite what she did earlier.

Back outside, there was a large gate which James touched, but he was shocked lightly causing him to reel his hand back.

"As I suspected, a shield of pure magic. Typical." James said before turning to Culda. "You have the ability to disable these spells, override this gate."

Culda did as commanded and mumbled a few choice words. She shot out a line of blue magic from her staff, channeling it as the shield changed color and eventually disappeared.

"And with that this raid is officially underway. Let's go."

James moved forward and opened the gate, being joined by his squad. Riven closed it after to avoid any possible surprise counter attacks.

After it closed, Evelynn emerged from the shadows of the bunker, feasting on a heart of a formerly alive soldier, preferably Ionian. Her mouth was bloody and she threw her snack aside. She peeked in, seeing the mess of blood causing her to grin widely.

"He's hard to get and he's also an artist. Ahh, it makes me tingle." She giggled.

The Crimson Elite soldiers were preparing for the most important task of this mission. Riven casually wiped some blood from her blade as Maddoc restocked his arrow supply. James checked his rifles ammunition and Culda merely observed her staff.

"Alright you know the drill, eliminate all the present guards, hold the area while Katarina and The Colonel grab the plans, then we get out of here and teleport home." James said.

"Sir yes sir." Maddoc responded.

"This is it." Riven said as she gripped her blade firmly.

"We're gonna get through this people. We pull this off, we grant Noxus access to unspeakable power."

The man opened up the other gate, seeing a few Ionian soldiers were present. Up ahead, the structure could be seen.

"We're in, let's go!"

The Ionians noticed them and began to speak their language, most likely in an attempt to aggravate them. James couldn't understand them, but he managed to make out the words **"Noxian!"** and heard what one would assume was **"I suggest you run yeah?!"**

James quickly picked off three soldiers with Maddoc taking down one. Culda fired an electrical shock through four soldiers, causing them to shake and then collapse over dead. Riven took down the last one present.

"The target's just up there. Time to rendezvous with the Colonel, come on."

They ran up a few stairs, entering a large area that had several pieces of cover. There was a walkway up top with some Ionian explosives below it. James would use this to his advantage when the time was right. He could see another turret planted in front of the building with several Ionians present. Looking to the left, there was Katarina and Colonel Vermelo in Crimson Elite uniforms as well. They saw their comrades.

"Nice to see you're not dead Commander!" Vermelo shouted as he engaged the guards with his magic.

"You too Colonel!"

"Let's take out these Ionians so we can get on with the Goddamn show!"

Soon, dozens of Noxians came up from the path Katarina and Vermelo took. Their swords raised with battle cries as they clashed with the Ionians. Sounds of dying soldiers filled the air.

James activated a new feature on his rifle. With the click of a button, a bayonet came out from under the barrel. He shouted to Katarina to join him and Riven as well. He charged forward with Riven following close behind as Maddoc and Culda joined Vermelo.

The man charged forward, firing his rifle at the Ionians who charged him as well. He needed to reload and noticed a lone soldier charging him. James put his bayonet to effect and let out a war cry as he blocked the soldiers blade with it. He delivered a kick and charged with the blade penetrating the Ionian's heart.

Noxian archers opened fire on the turret that turned its attention to the fire. The archers were cut down, but so was the turret operator and some Ionians.

Evelynn was observing up above, taking great delight in the situation presented before her. So much pain and death. She loved it.

Riven threw herself into the battle with numerous Ionians going for her. She sliced down the first one effortlessly and then did a roll forward with her blade striking down two others. She crouched down and swung in a circle that sliced through the flanking soldiers.

Katarina blinked behind the turret with her presence being noticed quickly. She became a flurry of blades, sending them in all directions of the soldiers who were quickly dealt with. James noticed the buildings doors open, revealing a large number of guards.

"Ionians! Coming from the structure!"

The guards exchanged fire with the invaders, both sides taking causalities with more war and even rage filled cries.

The Sinister Blade quickly joined James and Riven who grouped and braced themselves against a wall safe from battle. They were panting heavily with their uniforms covered in blood.

"I might have to rethink that offer you made commander!" Katarina said with a little chuckle. "I think I'll be buying the whole damn bar this time!"

James laughed at her words before peeking his head out to view the battle. Culda and Vermelo used their combined magic to lay out "suppressive" fire as Maddoc primed his explosives. He threw it at the pinned Ionians who chose to make a run for it despite the situation.

An explosion occurred with more severed body parts flying, but also a sizable number of Ionians still alive. One manned the turret, peppering their opposition with arrows.

The other three came back out to join the fray. Culda sending multiple blasts of magic to the soldiers, hitting a few but mainly just to suppress them. Maddoc fired his arrows, taking down more and more Ionians each moment.

James drew his blade through a soldier and heard one come up behind him. The Commander ducked in time as the Ionian's blade contacted a stone wall and James swung the end of his gun into the soldiers' chin making them stumble back a bit and then drove his bayonet into them.

Katarina simultaneously drove two daggers into two guards before pulling them out and parring another attack from behind. Riven slashed her way through the group of guards, blood spurting everywhere and getting caught in her face.

Eventually, the last of the guards fell while the majority of the Noxian soldiers were also dead. The Elites' looked around for any stragglers.

"Looks like it's all clear." Riven said.

"The structures secure Colonel!" James said coming to his superior.

"I have eyes Commander. Now, let's get those plans." Vermelo said.

The combined group went to the sealed gates of the building. James carefully brought his hand forward in case there was another magical shield. There wasn't, but the gates were immovable.

"Step aside Commander." Vermelo's voice sounded. James nodded at the command. "Looks like these Ionian guards aren't too eager to meet us."

James turned to Maddoc who nodded and went to the gates.

"This is my last supply. Hope this works." He said planting the explosives.

Luckily the size was enough and the gates were blown open. Vermelo walked forward, seeing his entrance.

"Okay Du Couteau, time to meet our new friends." He said gesturing to the redhead.

"Right behind you sir." Katarina replied.

The two of them disappeared inside the structure as James and his squad turned around, standing guard for any counter attacks.

A few minutes passed by, no sign of an attack but that didn't falter them. It was too quiet. The sun had gone down and the moon rose. James narrowed his eyes as he continued to scan his surroundings.

"_**Are you lonely? Let Evelynn take over."**_

James glared at this.

"Not again." He mumbled under his breath.

"_**You know you want me."**_

He tensed up again. He was being stalked.

"What do you want from me?"

"_**I want to see you hurt. I want to flay you alive!"**_

He shuddered at this. His finger was on the trigger and it was tempted to press down with each passing second.

"_**Turn around."**_

He wouldn't like it, but James had to face this thing. He had enough of it's toying. The Commander turned, seeing a demonic woman staring at him. The lashers sprawled out with a wicked grin. She advanced on him.

"_**Make me feel."**_

"IONIANS!" Maddoc's voice shouted.

James turned away for only a second before turning to see the demon had disappeared. Shaking it off, he again turned to see Maddoc pointing. James followed it.

A large group of Ionian soldiers was in fact heading to the groups position. They were letting out war cries that sounded more barbaric as opposed to battle. That's when it hit James.

This wasn't a rush of strategy; it was a rush of desperation. A mass of soldiers who didn't care if they lived or died.

"REGROUP!" He shouted.

The Noxian soldiers still present chose to meet with the oncoming group much to James's orders not to proceed.

The Crimson Elite formed up by the turret as they took in the situation. This seemed to be suicide to fight head on.

"What're we gonna do?" Culda asked.

"We fight." James finally said firmly. "We fight to the last. We fight for our lives."

"The time for talk is over." Riven said.

The girl charged her blade which surprised her squad mates. She took off to the side, ready to leap into the fray as Maddoc took his position on the turret. Culda positioned herself and prepared a spell she rarely used. James clenched his teeth as he gripped his rifle.

Then James saw several archers take positions up on the walk-way. With more Ionians approaching, he fired at the placed explosive. The pillar holding up the path collapsed with soldiers yelling and the ones on the bottom being crushed.

Waves of arrows flew from the turret as Maddoc fired into the mass. Culda casted her spell, sending a small line of blue light into the centre that caused a massive explosion of magic that left a crater. James took down as many of the soldiers as he could.

Riven leaped down in front after her squads' actions, she raised her sword up into the air with a yell and slashed in front. A wave of blades flew from the girls' weapon, slicing easily through the mass.

Culda channeled her staff, creating a beam of light and waving it across the soldiers. Their bodies fell apart when the spell contacted them. James switched to his pistol, firing as quickly as possible and taking cover from what return fire the archers shot.

Despite the Elites' efforts, the Ionians didn't let up.

"Goddammit we can't hold them off!" Maddoc said.

"Just keep firing!" James shouted.

Then something caught the Commanders eye. Above the chaos, he could see that figure again. It's eyes glowing with the tendrils doing the same. He watched it leap behind their enemies.

"This place is so bland. Needs a splash of red." Evelynn said to herself.

The Agony's Embrace cackled madly as she began her slaughter of the soldiers. Her lashers swiftly decapitated the heads of them, slicing through their exposed necks like a knife through butter. The howling of pain made its way to the other soldiers up front who turned to see their fellow soldiers being killed faster than they could blink.

The Crimson Elite squad did their best to hold off the attackers with James now choosing not to shoot given what he saw. Eventually, the last soldier fell thanks to Culda.

"We… we did it?!" Maddoc said with astonishment.

Riven didn't see a single soldier standing, just a massive pool of blood. She was surprised as well.

"Holy shit."

"Uh, uh g-good work everyone!" James stammered, his eyes widening at the site.

He heard footsteps behind him, turning around quickly to see Katarina and Vermelo. He snapped out of his previous state of mind.

"The package is secure." Vermelo said.

Katarina was carrying a sealed metal box. Vermelo casted a protective barrier around it to avoid any possible damage. They took notice of the battlefield. The colonel was impressed.

"Well Holland, you really do deserve to be leading The Crimson Elite." He said with a soft chuckle.

"Uh, t-thank you sir." James stammered.

A whistling sound could then be heard in the distance catching James's attention.

"You hear that?"

The others followed his gaze upward where his mouth dropped open under his mask. A flaming particle was being hurtled towards them.

"FIREBOMBS!" Culda yelled.

Landing close to the squad, the morter-like object exploded causing James and Culda to stumble over.

"Run, get out of here!" James said getting back up quickly.

The six of them ran for the gates they came through; numerous firebombs being launched from off-site artillery positions with the people occasionally stumbling when one landed closer. Evelynn kept her pace above, keeping an eye on James and ensuring he wouldn't get caught in a blaze.

"God I can't see shit!" Riven said as the explosions sent dust and dirt into their faces.

"KEEP MOVING!"

"We're almost there!" Vermelo shouted.

After that, the Colonel was unfortunately hit by a firebomb. His screams could be heard for a second or two before abruptly stopping as the blaze burned his body. The others were horrified but had to keep going. Katarina tightly gripped the box.

Finally they reached the assigned location with Culda beginning her spell. The woman casted a portal, but when she was done, she looked up to see a firebomb heading straight towards her at the warning of James's voice. He had no time to pull her out so James tackled Culda to the ground, cutting them off from the squad.

"JAMES!" Riven shouted.

"Get out of here! We're right behind you!"

Riven protested more, but then another firebomb exploded near her. The girl was sent flying and landing on her stomach. Her helmet came off and her uniform was torn with blood leaking out.

"I got you!" Maddoc said helping up the now unconscious soldier.

"Commander we have to leave now!" Katarina shouted to James.

"GET TO SAFETY! WE'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" He said helping up a wounded Culda. James saw Katarina still there holding the box. "LEAVE NOW! THE MAP'S ALL THAT MATTERS!"

Katarina groaned with frustration and did what he said. She chose to help Maddoc get a wounded Riven through the portal as more firebombs landed around them.

"Come on, up you get!" James said bringing Culda up and using his shoulders to support her.

"James…" She mumbled.

"We're almost home."

Culda noticed another firebomb coming towards them. With another cast, she shielded herself and James, though the impact was enough to make him stumble down.

James went briefly deaf, grasping his helmet as his ears rang. His suit was bloody and dirty from the mission, but he'd almost be home. He would see Jade soon.

"James." Culda's voice repeated.

The dazed man looked up, seeing her stare down at him. He smiled briefly before it turned into a frown. She was aiming the tip of her staff at him.

"What're you doing?"

She said nothing. She gave him a little smile before harshly pushing the staff into his stomach. James gasped at the pain and collapsed onto his back as he grasped the object. Culda's lips curled at the bottom into a fake pout.

"Oooh, poor thing. So alone."

"Ah, you son of a bitch!" He exclaimed angrily as he coughed up blood. "Why?!"

"Duly noted darling, my mother was a complete bitch." Culda said. "Well, since this is probably the last time we'll see eachother, I'll tell you why."

She leaned down closer to the bleeding man. Above Evelynn was watching, waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.

"This map will, as Swain said numerous times again and again, give Noxus an advantage. You and me both know Swain is a weak old man who can't seem to make any strategic choices anymore. He's slow. It's time for him to step down."

James scoffed at her words much to her annoyance.

"I can offer so much more to Noxus as The Grand General. The populace is heavily invested in this military operation we're currently doing and I'll show them that I'm the more capable one of leading this great empire."

"Like hell you will. You can barely contain your temper. Swain is stronger than you."

"Is that why he needs Leblanc's continuous advice when it comes to every plan? He can't seem to do anything on his own without her consent."

"No matter. You'll never succeed. You'll try to fight, but you've never won a single on fairly in life.

Culda laughed at this. She came down face to face with him.

"Oh my dear James, so ignorant and obtuse. That's where you come in my love." Culda said with a sinister and seductive voice. "Once the populace learns of Vermelo and your demise because of Swain's poor knowledge, they'll be absolutely furious with him. I'll step in and show the full power of the package we stole. It'll be a fantastic show!"

James rolled his eyes.

"What could you possibly have to offer in terms of knowledge that he wouldn't know?"

Culda pressed down roughly on his chest, scowling at him tensely. She came face to face again.

"For now that will remain my secret." She whispered.

He grunted at this.

"I also forgot to give Jade your last regards."

The man's eyes widened. He unseen and bloody teeth clenching with anger under his mouthpiece. He wanted to hit that cocky smile of hers off, but he couldn't given his state and her foot pressing down on his chest.

"FUCKING BITCH!"

Culda brought her other foot down onto his neck, shoving him hard against the stone ground.

"I'll be sure to tell her that." She cackled.

Taking her foot off, culda prepared to run for the portal.

"This shield will last for about twenty more seconds so I suggest you reconcile your life, _Commander_." Culda snickered.

"Culda!" James shouted with a hint of exhaustion. "Were you born this way, or did not having any companions when you were a child drive you to the point where you chose madness over reason?"

She growled at his words and turned around. James saw her green eyes glowing with anger and she ferouciously yanked the staff from him. Blood spurted out with James coughing up some more. He was about to pass out.

"It's time to tie up some loose ends with you. Goodbye James." Culda said aiming her makeshift knife.

A lasher grabbed the staff from above and a dark figure leaped in front of the woman. She was shocked by this sight.

"Wait your turn skank."

Evelynn grabbed the staff and yanked it forward. She kicked Culda with such force that she was sent flying through the portal. Evelynn huffed at this and turned to the wounded James.

"No no! Don't die yet!" She said with a worried tone.

James was too tired to protest. He grunted in response as she picked him up over her shoulders.

Evelynn ran quickly while maintaining James's body weight with the help of a lasher. She smiled happily as she dodged the artillery fire and finally reached the cliff. She brought James down and pressed herself against his body. Tipping over with him on the bottom, the two fell from the cliff to the waters below. However, Evelynn aimed the bloody staff downward and she mumbled a few words.

Elise had taught her a few things.

A portal appeared in the midst of their fall and the pair went through it, being teleported to an unknown location.

…

* * *

"Get medics in here now!" A soldier shouted as the trio of Katarina, Riven, and Maddoc stumbled through the portal.

Instead of it being in the briefing room, the pair had been teleported to a more open area in the same building. Their uniforms were all bloody and Katarina set aside the box in favour of giving more assistance to Maddoc. Aid quickly burst through the door, taking the wounded girl with them.

"James…" She muttered as she slowly regained consciousness.

Swain and Leblanc arrived into the room, eyes widened with curiosity, horror, and hope.

"What happened?!" Swain asked.

Another figure came through the portal. Culda Graves. The medics quickly went to give her assistance. Swain looked at the portal, expecting to see two more soldiers appear. They didn't show up.

"Where's Vermelo and Holland?" He asked Culda.

She groaned weakly at first before raising her head to face him. She compressed her lips and frowned while shaking her head. Swain and even Leblanc were shocked by this. The Grand General inhaled sharply as he took in the situation. Maddoc was rather upset by this and Katarina crossed her arms, looking down while leaning against the wall with a long exhale.

"Goddammit." He muttered under his breath.

"James?" A voice asked.

The attention was drawn to the now fully standing and messy Riven. Her brows rose in an uneven pace as her breathing became more like whimpers.

"No… no…" She whimpered.

I'm… sorry." Culda said.

Rivens' eyes immediately drew back to the mage. Her teeth clenched and her fists shaking. She was pissed.

"What did you do to him?"

Culda tried to speak, a weak smile forming. This made Riven angrier.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM YOU BITCH?!"

She got no answer and this sent the white haired girl over the edge. She charged against Culda who backed up. A single guard tried to restrain Riven, but she was too strong. Eventually four guards managed to stop her, though just barely.

"Riven calm yourself!" Leblanc said coming to the rage filled girl. "You are too emotionally distraught now and you need rest. You all need rest." She said pointing to the soldiers.

Katarina scoffed at this and went to the guards who now easily held the calmed Riven. She gestured them to release her and put her arms over her shoulder. Katarina motioned to Maddoc who joined her and he put Rivens' other arm on his shoulder. The trio of Crimson Elite soldiers walked slowly past Culda, Maddoc and Katarina both giving her a deadly stare. She shrugged it off.

Leblanc went to the box and picked it up. Swain joined her.

"Commander Holland and Colonel Vermelo gave their lives for that box." Katarina said sharply without looking. "Make sure they didn't die in vain, _Swain_."

Swain ignored the words, too distraught over the losses he took. He didn't think the Ionians would resort to such tactics.

…

* * *

James groaned as he regained consciousness. He didn't remember anything yet. He was still in his full body armor, though there was a bandage around his wound from Culda. He observed the surroundings. There were a few candles lit in the dark room. His eyes adjusted to the environment, seeing that it was a mixture of blue and purple. He tried to move but realised his arms and legs were bounded. He was tied up in a purple satin bed, numerous pillows of different shapes laid against the wall.

"What? Where am I?"

He got no answer. James then noticed a dark figure was strutting towards him in the hall. His position was directly in front of that.

"Jade?" He asked with futile hope.

A giggle escaped the figure. One James had been hearing for days now.

"You…"

Golden eyes glowed on the figure that was just a step outside of the bedroom. She leaped from the doorway to the pinned man who only saw a brief glimpse of her luscious body. She landed on James with the lashers quickly coming out. One of them wrapped around James's head with the other aimed at this throat. He showed no reaction to this, only glaring through his helmet.

The woman held that position for a long time, her face being hidden by the shadows. All James saw were her eyes. Then the lasher went away from his throat and caressed along his helmet instead, though she would've preferred if it was his actual cheek.

Finally, the figure came down and proceeded to lie fully on top of James, purring as her nose contacted his helmets front.

Evelynn, The Agony's Embrace, finally had him in her grasp.

"Hello love." She giggled.


	5. Love At First Sight?

James remembered the events beforehand. The mission briefing, the portal, the bloody and messy battle with the deaths of hundreds of Ionians and Noxians. He wanted to get out and return to Noxus, but that wasn't his top priority now.

It was time to face this demon.

"So you're the one who's been stalking me eh?" James finally spoke.

Evelynn giggled and shrugged carelessly.

"Perhaps you've heard of me love."

It is true James heard of her before, but only once or twice and dismissed it as people telling stories. Turned out it wasn't that.

"Well I've heard some stories of a lusty, beautiful succubus who regularly roams around the dark seams of Runeterra, prowling often for fresh agony and pain?" James said trying to fill her ego to the peek.

The blue woman simply gave a proud smile with her eyes closed, enjoying the compliments that made James's stomach churn.

"She seduced and killed say, hundreds of men?"

Evelynn cackled at this and leaned down to her pinned victim.

"Hundreds? Oh no. No, no, no. Thousands." She whispered.

James shuddered. He chose to give her a taste of her own medicine now.

"What was her name? It's on the tip of my tongue." He said pretending to think. "Hmm, Ahri The Nine Tailed Fox?"

James felt a sharp pain across his left cheek as his head was jerked aside from the open palmed slap. He let out a loud groan of surprise at the hit. His helmet didn't do any good.

The man's head was grabbed and pulled back straight up into the now glowing red eyes of Evelynn. Her fangs showing and lashers out. James silently gulped.

"Alright maybe I went a little too far there." He said with a slight voice crack.

She cupped the mouthpiece of the mask, slowly pulling him upward.

"Don't you even think about comparing me to that skank. You should be grateful you bastard." She hissed.

"Grateful that you've been stalking me recently? Sure." He said sarcastically. "You mind telling me where the fuck I am?"

Another slap hit him, this time in the right cheek. Evelynn's playfulness was slowly seeping away.

"You have no idea what I could do to you right now Commander. I could rip your heart straight from your ribcage if I damn well wanted to. I could bite your dick off and shove it down your throat. I could pull your tongue out through your fucking neck."

James shuddered, but didn't show his fear. His curiosity of his location was now at the bottom of his priorities.

"But I'm not going to do that. Not yet. I've had my eye on you for a while, and now I'm going to make sure you have some Heaven, before the Hell."

"Bullshit." James spouted.

** _"You think I'm kidding? You saw what I did to those men."_ **

"I think you're batshit crazy. That's what I think."

"Pfft, pillow talk."

"If that's what you consider pillow talk then you need to raise your standards. This room is a fine example." James said. "Though given your appearance I can't say I'm surprised."

One hand grasped his throat tightly, squeezing the life out of James as he gasped for air. Evelynn brought her talons under his chin, one pressing lightly against the mouthpiece as she threatened to cut through and penetrate the flesh. She hissed at him.

"Say I'm not beautiful again and I'll pull your tongue out with my teeth."

James couldn't deny it; she looked like a goddess.

"Bitch."

She slapped him lightly this time and gave him a "No no." gesture.

"Naughty, naughty, that gets you a lashing!"

The pinned man braced for a brutal strike, but instead just felt a little, gentle cut on his arm. It didn't even get through the armor. He heard Evelynn giggle at his reaction.

"Like I said love, I could do anything to you, but you're my favorite type of victim. I tend to give them more pleasure than usual." She said.

James exhaled rather annoyed. He felt Evelynn remove the mouthpiece of his mask making him tense up. She gasped at the scar on his chin.

"Oh honey. How could you?!" She said like she was greatly offended. "How could you cheat on me with another demon?! I'm the one who's supposed to be hurting you!"

He groaned at her fake pout and attitude. Evelynn's lashers went back as she crawled on all fours and positioned her mouth just inches from his. James could feel the succubus's lustful aura. He didn't like it, but he couldn't prevent a flame of arousal building inside.

"How about that kiss?" She whispered with a snicker after.

"I'd rather spend my ti-"

He was interrupted by an open-mouthed kiss as Evelynn forcefully cut James off, her long tongue easily making its way into his mouth.

_"Oh he tastes good." _She thought.

Evelynn tasted delicious as well to James. The feeling of being powerless and exposed as her prisoner left his mind momentarily as he felt the taste of Heaven in his mouth. Their tongues wrestled, but that changed soon. James's eyes opened up under his red visor of the helmet, glaring at the succubus who still had her eyes closed.

He could feel her fangs in the tip of his tongue, sucking slightly at it before biting down lightly. His eyes widened at the pinch and decided not to take it.

Evelynn's eyes opened with a glare as James brought his teeth together, clenching her tongue. She scowled and retreated from the man's mouth while nibbling on his lips and even clenching them briefly before getting out. James's lips were compressed as he exhaled heavy breaths from his nose. Evelynn could feel a little blood on her tongue.

It wasn't his.

"So you do like it rough." She said with a mischievous grin.

James felt that he pissed her off greatly. Her eyes glowed red.

"I'm sorry." He said with a little whimper.

A mad cackle came from Evelynn and James couldn't look away from her. She used her lashers to cut the bounds on his arms and legs to his surprise. Evelynn's mouth formed with mirth as she placed a clawed hand on his exposed cheek, gently sliding it down.

"You're so cute when you're nervous, but I can't wait to see you in pure pain." She said before leaning down closer to his ear. "Wanna know a secret?"

James huffed at the question.

"No."

"These curves, are real."

"Don't care."

Evelynn growled. James felt the clawed hand on his cheek begin to curl a bit at the fingers and it dug slightly into his skin. James instinctively pushed the demon off him with a grunt. A thud sounded with Evelynn letting out an orgasmic cry. The sound strangely made James aroused.

_"Run. Run! Run now!" _He thought to himself.

The Commander couldn't do it. He couldn't see Evelynn, but the exit to the bedroom door was pretty close. He was certain he could make it, but the succubus's growing cackle was making him shiver. If he didn't make it through he'd be screwed.

A lasher slammed the door shut. James stayed still for too long. Evelynn rose back up, a little crack of her neck with that lustful smile.

"So I guess you're not quite in the mood just yet eh?"

James began clumsily pacing back as the demon kept pacing forward.

"But you do wanna wrestle."

"What?"

He blinked once before seeing Evelynn lunge at him. James let out a grunt as he was knocked off the bed with Evelynn grasping him tightly, even cooing for a second at the comfortable feeling his body provided. Landing with a loud crash and groan from James, the two rolled until they collided with one of the rooms walls, jerking to a stop with the lusty demon on top. James heard her purr and once again came nose to nose.

"Show me that inner beast." She whispered.

An adrenaline rush was building inside of the man. His fists clenching and his lips compressed as he refused to make eye contact with Evelynn. He heard her growl again and her claws on his arms. She penetrated the armor and soon after, the flesh.

James looked at her with rage.

"Fine." He said bluntly.

The woman's signature cackle was heard when James flipped her over with him on top. Evelynn grinned and attempted to kiss him. He retreated with his head going further up with an annoyed look at her action. Evelynn pouted and shifted the position with her in control again.

The room was filled with grunts and sounds of furniture breaking, mainly with James's grunts and Evelynn's giggle. A loud crash occurred when James slammed the demon against the wall with her screaming joyfully. Occasional blows were exchanged and finally the wrestling came to a stop.

Evelynn was on top of James, having him pinned with the lashers. Her hair was messy and she panted heavily with a smile. James's helmet came off and his armor had some chipping on it from a splintered wall. She observed his face. The man's eyes were actually a different color, thanks to another "experiment" by Singed. One eye brown and the other blue. His hair was taper faded, not entirely long given his rank.

She felt a tingle at this site.

"Well you're certainly harder to convince compared to other men, but I guess that's why I'm treating you with the luxury you deserve." She giggled.

"You call this luxu-"

James fell for it again. Evelynn cut him off with an open mouthed kiss. He glared and grunted angrily, but her lashers kept him immovable.

_"Goddammit" _He thought.

The succubus had a trick up her sleeve this time. She charmed the kiss with allure and it began to easily spread through the soldiers' body. James could feel it, the lustful feeling multiply at a rapid pace. His eyes rolled back slightly as Evelynn gave a devilish smirk.

"Sealed with a kiss." She whispered.

"I… will not gi.. ugh…"

The charm consumed his whole body. James felt the front of his pants get tighter as his member began to grow. Evelynn let loose her tendrils as she felt his body lose the will to move.

"Wanna get into a more comfortable spot love?"

He merely grunted at this, unable to speak.

Evelynn carelessly threw the man onto the bed. She wiped off a couple pieces of broken furniture from their tussle and positioned herself over him. James didn't move a muscle or even tilt his head. In a rare moment of concern, Evelynn cupped his chin and brought his face upwards. His eyes were slowly gazing about.

"He's a damn good fighter, but wow he is just weak in terms of charms. Maybe he's not the man I'm looking for." She said to herself.

"Ahem."

Evelynn looked down to see his eyes staring widely at hers. The demon noticed she'd let her guard down with the lashers and wasn't quick enough to trap James again before he trapped her in his arms. Evelynn had a rare look of fear.

"Who are you calling weak?" He asked almost menacingly.

She noticed his eyes had taken a drastically different color. The victims' eyes were usually pink, but his weren't. The man's two different colored orbs were now a dark crimson color. It sent a brief shiver down the succubus's spine. She could've killed him right there with her claws, but she didn't. Evelynn wasn't dominated enough given that she never gave the poor person a chance, but this was different.

"I like it rough." She said purely aroused with a lustful grin and narrowed eyes.

_"What is wrong with me? What am I doing? I could kill her right now!"_ James thought to himself.

Evelynn giggled and James raised a brow with concerned eyes like she just read his mind.

"The allure effect is far too powerful for you to overcome love. You couldn't kill me if you tried."

The man couldn't control his urges. The succubus's charm was taking its effect on him.

He kissed her roughly and passionately. Evelynn tried to fight back, but his tongue was entirely too aggressive this time.

She lost.

Evelynn loosened the lashers around James who dropped her. She sprawled out her body and surrendered to him.

Inside his mind, James wanted to fight it. He loved Jade, but Evelynn's charm was too great. Unbuckling his pants and pulling them down with his underwear as well, his member was visible and fully erect. He grabbed the demon on either side of her hips and thrusted deep inside.

Evelynn reared her head back, her golden eyes glowing and tongue hanging out of her mouth. The feeling of James's cock invading, stretching, and filling her more than any other man had before was incredible. This went beyond just filling her.

"Mmm… more," Evelynn moaned, her eyes rolling back.

James couldn't deny her if he tried. His body felt utterly compelled to obey the lust drunk demon and the charm made it impossible. His hips quickly found a rhythm that was pleasing to the woman receiving his cock. Every time he slipped inside of her, he was greeted with a wet embrace from Evelynn's tight walls. She hugged every inch of his manhood and pulled it in with every thrust.

The Commander's face showed grimace even as he heard Evelynn beg for more. He was practically being forced to do this. The charm had awakened something in his body that was showing dominance that Noxians' were known for, though in a different setting. James wasn't into BDSM, but Evelynn forced this and he would not fail to provide, even if he felt sick to his stomach when doing so.

He grabbed the woman's white hair and yanked her head back until she was looking straight up at the ceiling. Without breaking the tempo of their hips smacking together, James leaned down and dove his tongue straight into Evelynn's throat.

When he was done with this, James used his leverage to shove Evelynn face first into the pillows. She let out a muffled squeal and her walls clamped down on James from the intensity of the primal act. He held her face down and proceeded to ramp up his speed. The sounds of his hips hitting hers and with his cock being swallowed by her hungry depths echoed under the sound of the bed crashing into the wall with every thrust.

Evelynn drooled onto her purple silk pillows as her womanhood was assaulted with such ferocity. She was always the dominant one, but she was so aroused that her persistence on getting him had paid off. He was fucking her just the way she'd never been before.

"I guess this is why you're the leader of the Noxian Elite!" She squealed.

A loud smack occurred and the succubus cried out lustfully. James spanked her lovely ass, the flesh rippling and he even left a red imprint.

Evelynn's back arched and her head came back up for a half a second before being shoved back into the pillows. Her backside stung from the spanking and she wanted to curse, but all that came out was a lustful moan that got another spanking from the man's hand.

A twisted smile spread across the beautiful woman's face and she wiggled her hips in eager anticipation for more.

He began smacking her ass rapidly with his hand, mixing it up every so often so that both of her cheeks became red. Evelynn's eyes rolled up at this feeling.

The succubus's ass was stinging with pain, but her womanhood was caught in a sea of pleasure possibly nobody else could provide. Evelynn was receiving the perfect amount of pleasure and pain which is how she liked it, though rarely got it.

Evelynn tried to push herself up, but James quickly forced her back down. She practically embraced the feeling of his domination, being nothing but a tool of his satisfaction. The blue woman looked up at him with lust, adoration, and even a little hint of love.

_"Love? No. Not possible." _She thought.

James didn't return the look. He practically glared at her with those crimson eyes. She noticed this and the expressions left her face as she closed her eyes at the pleasure he was giving her.

"I hope you know I'm not enjoying any of this." He said with clenched teeth.

She merely gestured with her head with a carless look. She was loving every moment of it and knew that deep down James was enjoying it too, though he'd rather chop off his legs than admit it.

Finally, Evelynn's nether regions tightened enough around James's member to the point where he couldn't contain it any longer. He growled before he released. She wanted to milk him of every ounce of essence.

James felt the tip of his manhood throb and then erupted a stream of his cum. Evelynn wanted to scream, but she couldn't do it when she felt every last inch of her depths become flooded with his white, hot essence. The fluids began to leak and dribble out onto her thighs with some sliding down onto the bed.

James's arms slumped down to his sides, heavily panting as he calmed down. Evelynn had her eyes closed with a smile of satisfaction. She opened her eyes, seeing the Commander in a state of exhaustion and she giggled. The succubus knew that after release, her charm's effect would soon end and James would have full control over his body. Given his previous attitude, she wasted no time to prevent him from taking action.

The man was violently kicked off the bed and Evelynn quickly stood up. She came to the end of the bed which gave her a significant height advantage over the recovering man. She picked him up with her lashers and held him at her face level. His eyes were no longer red.

"Well… that was certainly more than I expected." She said with a hand on his cheek.

James spat at her and snarled. He had a few tears in his eyes. Evelynn slapped him as payback.

"Aww, don't cry yet honey. I haven't even gotten to the real fun yet." She cooed.

"Finish me off you bitch!" He snapped. "You made me fuck you and you know what, I lied about not enjoying it! I loved it! And I would do it again and again until you were too sore to take anymore!"

She giggled at his words.

"Is that why you're crying? Because you know you'll never be able to do that again?"

He huffed as a response and took a deep breath to calm down.

"Just finish me. I've got nothing to live for anymore. My lover's probably dead and I'm already likely presumed to be dead so just seal the deal." He said looking away.

An exasperated sigh escape Evelynn as she cupped his chin and made him stare into her golden eyes.

"It's always more fun when they beg me to stop. I'm loving your pain and agony, but just asking me to do it is such a turn-off. I want to see your pained face."

"Holy shit you are impossible to please."

"That's why I'm unsatisfied so often. Though I must say, you were amazing in bed." She giggled.

James merely shrugged this assumed compliment off. Evelynn sighed and chose to grant his wish.

"Any last words love? Any regrets?"

The man inhaled and exhaled. He looked up to the succubus who was preparing to slit his throat.

"My one regret is not being able to enact revenge on that traitorous bitch who stabbed me on the battlefield and left me for dead. Before I die, I'd love to see her well-deserved and humiliating demise at my own hands." He said coldly.

That's when it hit her. Evelynn too was secretly enraged by the woman who tried to kill James, a victim who had been entirely different with her. He wasn't fearful compared to others and his full potential at fucking her was extraordinary.

He wasn't someone who deserved to die like this. Even in her nature, Evelynn had a respect for these types of people. If he begged her to stop torturing him, she would oblige without hesitation. Evelynn dropped James onto the floor. He was shocked.

She got off the bed, crouching down to him. She gave him a stern look and looked at his bandaged wound. He followed this before meeting her eyes again.

"You want revenge love? You want to show this person that she'll rue the day she betrayed you and left you for dead?"

James hesitantly nodded. Evelynn's mouth twitched with mirth at this. James rose a brow when seeing her clawed hand go for his wound.

"I may just be intrigued to assist you in that."

Evelynn's talons swiftly cut James's wound. Blood began to quickly seep out of it and he scrambled to cover it while glaring at the demon.

"What the fuck is your problem?!"

Evelynn ignored his words with another giggle and strutted to the door. As she opened it, she reached into a drawer from a ruined desk and pulled out a potion. She looked back at the bleeding man who kept glaring.

"I can't have you possibly escaping now can I love? Here, put this on the spot."

She carelessly threw the potion over her head at the direction of James and closed the door. He managed to catch it and quickly opened it, applying the fluid to the rapidly bleeding womb. As he did, several locks were heard on the door. Immediately the wound healed up and looked entirely brand new apart from the blood sliding from before.

With his body now healed, James stood up and went to the locked door.

"Hey! Where are you going?!"

No answer.

"Goddammit tell me where you're going you fucking bitch!"

** _"SHUT UP!"_ **

He reeled back less than a quarter of a second after hearing her demonic voice. He stood defiantly, ready to fight her if she broke through the door.

"_You shouldn't talk that way to someone who just gave you something to heal your wound fully." _Evelynn's voice said.

"Does that also apply if said person is the one who caused it to happen again?"

_"You just can't take a joke can you?"_

"You call that a joke?!"

_"Whatever. Listen honey, your words about your desire for revenge have caught my attention." _Evelynn said with a more casual tone. _"This traitor you mentioned, she's the same one I rescued you from?"_

"If you call that rescu-"

_"Just answer the Goddamn question."_

"Yes. Yes she is. I thought you'd have known that."

_"Nothing wrong with double checking to make sure. Now given her mindset of believing you to be deceased, would you say she's in a rather, um, happy state?"_

James merely snorted at this.

"Happy state? I'd say a state of pure joy and bliss." He said. "She seemed to be very confident in her other plans and moti-"

_"Shut up." _Evelynn retorted cutting him off. _"You caught my attention at and only when you said she was in a state of pure joy and bliss."_

"What's it to you?"

_"I'm not sure if you're brawn over brains but in case you are, I love feeding off the agony of the happiest people. It is why I chose you after all love."_

James rose another brow even though Evelynn couldn't see it. He knew what she was getting at.

"Are you saying you want to help me get back at her?"

Evelynn's cackle was heard outside the door. James crossed his arms.

_"Who said anything about helping you? I'm saying I'm intrigued to possibly get back at this woman. Her state of mind sounds delicious and I'm still annoyed that she tried to kill my new favourite toy."_

James groaned with an eye roll at the last sentence, but he shrugged it off.

_"If you desire, you could assist me in finding her. After all, I could use a new partner in crime. If I choose to anyway." _Evelynn cackled.

He couldn't trust Evelynn and definitely didn't like the thought of her being by his side, but with little to no knowledge of his location and seeing as she chose not to kill him, the man had no choice.

"If you're offering me a chance to get back at her, I'll take it, though I'm a bit reluctant."

Silence happened.

"Do we have a deal?"

_"I'll have to sleep on it love. Your handling of my body has tired me out greatly and I could use some rest. I'll see how I'm feeling in the morning."_

James groaned with frustration at this. He hated when people did this.

"Fine. Sleep on it." He snapped. "Can I trust you not to flay me when I'm sleeping?"

_"Hahaha. Of course you can Commander. I'm rather afraid to be left in a room alone with you after what I've seen tonight."_

James chuckled at this. He wasn't proud of what he did, but knowing he satisfied a woman like her made him smile slightly. He still felt guilty about it as he practically betrayed his true love, Jade. This made him grimace.

A growling was heard from his stomach. James was hungry.

"Excuse me?" He asked hoping Evelynn would still be there. "Is there any food?"

_"Being the kind hostess that I am, I left a bowl of fruit next to the bed, though I'm not sure if it's still there after our little tussle. Hell it may not even be good to eat anymore given that it's been there for a few days."_

"A FEW DAYS?!" James shouted. "HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FOR?!

This time he got no answer and growled. He guessed Evelynn had returned to her bedroom and wouldn't be coming out until the morning. Given the lack of light in the room it was hard to tell what time of day it was.

"This is either the best decision I've made or the worst." He muttered to himself. "I doubt I'll live long enough to find out which."

The man saw that there was in fact a bowl of fruit, though a good amount of it had fallen likely from their tussle. He took a large apple and wiped it on his armor before taking a bite. He laid on the bed and sighed at the choice he just made while wondering if he'd ever see Jade again.

It felt like he just signed a death sentence.

* * *

Evelynn reached her bedroom and entered it. She closed the door and leaned against it with a long sigh. Her face didn't have the usual playful and naughty smile, it was one of seemingly embarrassment.

"Why did I do that?" She asked herself. "Why didn't I kill the bastard?"

The woman jumped on her bed and stretched out while looking up at the ceiling. She was troubled.

"This man isn't what I expected. He may be a Commander from Noxus, but holy shit he knows how to please a woman. The look I gave him as he pounded me? Why did it have a hint of love? I only do one night stands and that's all I'll ever do. Right?"

She turned over on her side, gripping her pink pillow and burying half her face in.

"He didn't want to kiss me immediately. Though given my actions beforehand, it's kind of hard to blame him. He talked dirty to me and showed no fear in my retorts. There's more to this man than meets the eye." She said to herself. "He didn't see me immediately as a piece of meat. He only did when I charmed him and even then he didn't enjoy it."

Evelynn felt a feeling grow inside her stomach. It was a feeling of loneliness and anxiousness. Like she wanted to be laying next to James right now.

"Just thinking of that bitch almost killing him makes me so enraged!" She growled.

The succubus gripped the pillow tighter, but calmed down and soon felt herself slowly drifting off to a deep rest.

"What am I feeling right now? Why do I miss him even though he's right down the hall?"

Her golden eyes closed as she let out a relaxed sighed and curled up into a fetal position, one of her arms bringing her legs closer as she used the other one to cover her in a blanket.

"Am I..." She droned on. "...feeling something with him? Is it love at first sight?"

Evelynn knew this man was different and shouldn't be taken for granted when it comes to someone like her. She wasn't sure if she'd keep her word, but she would definitely keep his company around much longer than she expected.

She fell asleep, still smiling.


	6. Gathering Storm

_ **James had been unconscious for over a week prior to waking up and finally meeting Evelynn. She thought about forcing him to wake up, but chose to give him a different treatment and let him wake up on his own. She kept him healthy despite her usual nature.** _

_ **During this mini-coma, in Noxus, the members of James's unit were being tended with medical treatment minus Culda who insisted she needed no such treatment.** _

* * *

One day after the covert mission, Maddoc, Riven, and even Katarina chose to go to his residence to break the unfortunate news. Culda thought about it, but had other plans for the day. The three of them said she wasn't worthy to set foot in the house of the former Commander.

The lover of James Holland was pacing around her house nervously, biting her nails while holding a cigarette in another.

"Haven't had one of these in six years." She said before inhaling another smoke.

A knock came at the door and Jade's eyes turned to it, wide as they could get. She slightly smiled with hope, but also frowned with fear of the truth. Why hadn't James contacted her after the mission?

She opened the door, expecting to see her love. Her hopeful smile disappeared when seeing Riven and two other figures she didn't know dressed in casual clothing. They were grimacing.

"Riven? Where's James?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but no words could come out.

"No." Jade said, her voice breaking quickly.

Jade's lip quivered soon after and tears began to stream down her face. Rivens' lips compressed with her glaring downward and opened her arms to embrace the wailing Jade. The woman's cries were muffled as she buried her face into the shirt of Riven who held her tight, hands gliding through the long silky black hair. She kept that stern look, but she was equally as broken inside as Jade was.

A tear slipped from her eye.

"I'm…. I'm sorry." Riven said with her voice also breaking.

Maddoc and Katarina tried to remain silent, but it was no use.

James was like a brother to Katarina and she would often tease him like she did with Talon, but she respected him deeply. She never got to tell him that which made the redhead start to have some tears too, a rare emotion from The Sinister Blade.

Maddoc had only known James for a few hours, but his words and actions on the battlefield made the young soldier have the utmost respect for the man. He was a brave leader and knew the right amount of discipline and praise for his units' members. Maddoc wrapped his arms about Katarina who did the same.

They were all in a state of grieving.

* * *

_ **Culda wasted no time putting her plan into motion. As she expected, the public demanded an update on the invasion and the status of Commander James Holland and Colonel Hector Vermelo. ** _ _ **Culda was not alone in this. She had some help from a certain someone who also had a problem with The Grand General Swain. Someone who lost two of his most important individuals he'd ever had in his life.** _

Culda attended a tense announcement about the update on the Invasion of Ionia in the heart of the city. Swain with Leblanc as usual by his side was giving a speech, but the public was very persistent on the status of the map and the conditions of the Commander and Colonel. Darius was standing by as well, charged with keeping his general safe from possible rioters. The citizens of Noxus were, much like what the empire is known for, were hungry for power and dominance. Learning that two of their most beloved and influential members of their army had fallen because of Ionian firebombs sent them into a frenzy.

It didn't stop there.

At the height of this, Culda made her first move. She confronted Swain at the heart of the stand. He recognised her, but Culda gave him no chance to speak. She used her knowledge and experience from the raid to fuel the fire of the crowd against Swain. Using the specific details on Vermelo's demise and how Swain failed to mention the firebombs, the crowd erupted into a sea of rage.

Darius ordered his men to hold them back as Culda kept shouting the details of the battle. It was a full-blown riot and the Grand General was too distraught with the situation and the graphic descriptions of the deaths of his best military minds. Leblanc ordered Darius to use any means necessary to hold back the crowd. She'd lost the ability to rationally think given the situation and Culda only used this to her advantage.

After that everything started to change drastically in Noxus. Culda had been planning this for a while now and was certainly doing a fine job at it. She quickly deciphered the weakness of Noxian citizens and their concerns with the deaths of Vermelo and Holland going unanswered. Swain was too slow, Culda claimed.

"_He doesn't know whether he should avenge his most decorated soldiers, or make their deaths be in vain because he's still getting out of bed the morning!"_

She tended to stretch the truth greatly and she had gained footing from the rage and anger she instilled. Her supporters turned from a steady stream to a rapid river.

* * *

Culda was in a favourable position that happened during the same day James woke up. The woman later went to a mansion one calm, clear evening with a full-moon. Her "help" had provided her with the most elite protection Noxus had to offer though she was insistent that she could handle it herself given her combat. The women merrily skipped up the stairs, laughing joyfully at the progress she'd made in such short notice. Culda opened the door to the dark bedroom, stepping in.

"Honey I'm home." She announced with a singsong voice.

An amused grunt was heard from the bed, making her chuckle lightly. Culda paced to the bed and casted a spell to light up a candle on the nearby desk. A man was revealed lying on the bed bare-chested. He wasn't muscular or strong, just a bit slim. His hair was blonde and his face had numerous scratches on it.

The last known surviving son of the infamous Boram Darkwill.

Balgan Darkwill.

"What do you have to report?" He asked.

Culda giggled and chose to straddle herself on him as opposed to sitting on the side of the bed. She licked her lips mischievously before clearing her throat.

"You'll be very, very glad to hear that I have gained numerous supporters in such short time. The old man is completely in a state of unfavourableness. The people of this city are finally seeing him for the weak leader he really is."

"Have you had any… certain encounters lately?" Balgan asked with slight concern. "You know, friends of his?"

The woman cackled the same way Leblanc did. It made the man shiver. He found himself in direct contact with her green orbs a moment later.

"Unfortunately I have, but do not fret, I'm the one who started to abduct them first." She snickered.

Balgan sighed when learning of this. Culda was playing with fire if she was constantly capturing members of The Black Rose.

"Why do you always have to take so many risks?"

"Oh come now, don't be such a grouch. Well behaved women rarely make history." Culda retorted.

"Without me you wouldn't have been in this position to make such history." Balgan shot back.

The mages playful attitude went away in the blink of an eye. She scowled at the man, eyes slightly glowing with rage. Balgan knew of her temper, but didn't show fear.

Culda inhaled deeply.

"You're right, you're right. Sorry, I'll try not to do that anymore."

"Try?" Balgan replied amused. "No, you're not gonna try, you'r-"

She shut him up with a passionate kiss. The man loved the taste of Culda and she always took advantage of this. She lightly pushed him back down onto the bed and stripped off her top.

"You can't keep doing this everyt-"

The man rolled his eyes as Culda kissed him with unmatched fervor. She certainly had something else planned tonight that he wouldn't approve of so she used her best weapon; seduction.

He gave in.

…

* * *

"I didn't join The Black Rose to be some errand boy!" A man said angrily.

"Trust me, after you've seen what this woman is like, you'll be glad if the only thing you do is errands." Another man replied.

"Why do we have to tell her in person? Doesn't Leblanc often send ravens or something to message her?"

"Normally I believe she does. But this new situation with the growing and popular opposition of Swain has her on edge I think."

"That still doesn't explain it. Why would she care? She's The Deceiver! Lying is 95% of what she does right?"

"That is true, but think about it. The fact that she's not doing it must mean something's up. Going to this woman is pretty much her last resort."

"Why?"

"You're about to find out."

The men approached the dark mansion. They felt uneasy in the presence of a seemingly deserted building, but what lurked inside gave it a greater feeling of fear. One of them knocked, the door opening upon impact resulting in a gulp.

"Hello?" One said entering the doorway carefully.

The voice echoed through the lightless structure. The two of them exhaled with a shiver.

…

Inside a candle lite dining hall, a single woman was sitting at the end of the long table. A waltz was being played by a few loyal servants of her. She captured a piece of a delicately cut steak on the end of her fork and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes rolled back with a blissful smile as she consumed the piece, slightly gesturing her well manicured fingers at the sound of the music like she was conducting. Occasional taps of her foot happened as well.

The peaceful atmosphere was interrupted when the two men from earlier opened the door to the room. The musicians took note of this but didn't stop playing. The woman was still in her conducting dream.

"S-Sorry madam. We, uh, we know you don't like to be disturbed especially given…"

The guy was so fearful of the woman he couldn't stop stammering.

"…what my colleague means to say is-"

His words were stopped short when he saw the woman staring at him with a murderous glare. Despite being far away from her, the crimson orbs glowed and he felt himself freeze.

"Uh, uh, Elise? L-Leblanc w-w-wants your-"

The woman gestured to the servants to leave who eagerly left with their instruments, fearing for their own safety. The two men couldn't speak as she waved her hand, causing the candles to go out and leaving the two in pitch black. They whimpered in fear before they were both forced down with a kick to the back. The woman was behind them, eyes glowing in the dark as she flipped them over.

"Speak." She hissed.

…

* * *

Culda looked at her sleeping partner. He was laying on his side with his back turned to her. She had a look of disappointment on her face. He was the last son of Boram Darkwill, and yet he spent all these years cowering in the shadows as opposed to stepping up to reclaim his father's glory. Culda would've killed him right there if she didn't need his help so badly.

Getting out of the bed, Culda quickly got dressed with a cloak to top it. She scowled at the sleeping man and then heard a knock at the bedroom door. Culda opened it to see the Captain of The Personal Guard.

"Milady, they're on the move." The Captain said. "Our operatives have picked up a teleportation spell from inside the mansion."

"Thank you Captain Minh, that is excellent news. I knew she'd be too stubborn to take the carriages." Culda replied. "Tonight, we send Swain and The Black Rose a message they won't forget."

The Captain bowed and made his leave to the entrance of the residence. Culda grabbed her necessary equipment; A Luden's Echo and a Banshee's Veil. She gave one last look at the sleeping man on the bed.

"Soon Noxus will no longer be ruled by weak leaders." She snapped quietly.

Culda closed the door and went outside of the residence where a convoy of carriages and horses were. Culda had studied the history of this secret organization and knew of their frequent use of dark magic. She outfitted her personal carriage with a magical shield just as a precaution. Her target was not to be taken lightly and she didn't' care whether she killed them or not, but either way she'd show Swain that she wasn't afraid.

"Captain Minh." She said getting into the carriage, the man following after. "Before we reach the location, I wish to take a slight detour first."

"Milady?"

"It's kind of a personal matter, won't take too long and won't interfere with our original schedule."

"Ma'am, if you would heed my advice, I would not recommend that we risk accelerating this more than we already expect. Sir Balgan would not appreciate it if-"

"**To Hell with what Balgan thinks!"** Culda snapped making the Captain flinch. **"I am finally doing what his father and brother failed to do! I'm taking action against those who wrongfully stole their glory! Have you enjoyed just being his personal guard for all the time he's spent cowering in the dark?!"**

Minh quickly shook his head, showing fear to the angry mage.

"Exactly." She said a little calmly, but still sternly. Culda gave the driver the location and the carriage set off with the others following close behind.

…

* * *

A man was carrying a tray with three champagne filled glasses resting on the object. Dressed in a black suit with a bowtie, he offered the two figures in the dark room each a drink. They both took one with the third one being placed on the circular table.

"Thank you Damon, that will be all." Leblanc said. "You can retire your services for the rest of the evening now."

The man smiled with a nod and went to the exit of the room. However, a third figure came in and carelessly pushed Damon aside with him bumping into the wall. The man scowled at the woman before resuming his leave.

Elise glared at Leblanc and Vladimir.

"You can't keep summoning me whenever your "boyfriend" has a problem with politics." She snapped. "You know I don't care for that."

"And yet here you are!" Leblanc retorted before taking a sip.

"If you don't want to attend these meetings then just say so." Vladimir added. "After all, I do suppose living forever with a beautiful body would get boring after a while."

The Spider Queen glared at The Crimson Reaper.

"Where's Swain?" She asked taking a seat.

"He's currently going under some… adjustments." Leblanc said not making eye contact.

Elise snorted at this and took a sip of her drink.

"So you choose to send actual members to get me as opposed to a simple letter, they tell me it's about Swain's political status, have them be insistent on transporting me via carriage, and when I arrive he's not even here? Just because you're smitten with him doesn't mean you have to include him in every situation."

The Deceiver glared so Vladimir chose to speak for her.

"This is about Swain's political status, but it mainly has to do with the opposition he's facing. It's not often that such an occurrence can spiral out of control so quickly, but this is one of those rare times where it has." He said. "The Black Rose can no longer ignore it."

Leblanc dropped the glare against Elise who leaned back into her chair.

"Who is this person?" The Spider Queen asked.

"Culda Graves" The Deceiver said. "She was part of The Crimson Elites that managed to successfully steal a map from Ionia that reveals the most powerful artifacts hidden within their lands. The unit was led by Commander James Holland."

Elise blinked once before widening her crimson eyes. She didn't care for politics or the military, but she'd heard of him. Her views on him were mixed.

"Did the Commander return?"

"No."

"So Swain is losing support against a clearly troubled soldier?" Elise said with amusement. "No wonder he's losing power."

"It's not that." Leblanc retorted. "Culda and James had a history together and from what I know, it ended in a rather grim scenario. The woman knew of the man's influence on our citizens and that they'd be furious at the news of his demise. She manipulated the information so it'd seem like Swain failed to provide the necessary details of the artillery."

Elise leaned forward a little, her chins resting on her open flat palm.

"Swain may be old but that doesn't affect his attention to details such as these." Leblanc said. "There was no possibility to predict the hidden locations. Culda showed the Ionian's report of the last resort tactic."

"Have you asked the Commander's soldiers if they knew anything?"

"We don't wish to disturb them. They've been spending some time at James's residence with his grieving partner. They're furious with Swain and Leblanc is no different." Vladimir added.

"So why do you need me?"

Leblanc formed a small smirk and gulped down the last of her drink.

"This is where it gets fun for you."

…

* * *

"I really… really shouldn't be doing this because it-….. it's not good to grieve this way… but I do have you guys here and…" Jade trailed off with a slur.

Riven and Maddoc laughed rather hysterically before calming down. Katarina was passed out on the couch.

Since Jade learned of her love's death on the battlefield, Maddoc, Riven, and Katarina, while she wasn't originally in his unit, spent the majority of the week with the still slightly upset woman. Her mood had improved with their company. Riven felt it was her duty to spend time with her Commander's partner, feeling like she was still her only connection to him. Maddoc and Katarina felt the same way.

"That's why we're here…" Maddoc said taking a sip of his drink.

"Can't have the lover of our Commander… die of alcohol consumption now can we?" Riven said slurring. "We'll die with you on the battlefield of empty b-b-beer bottles…"

"I think she's already… fallen." Jade said pointing to Katarina.

More laughter happened amongst the drunk trio. Jade set aside her drink.

"But listen for what it's worth… I'm very, very… grateful that you guys have been with me over the past few… days." Jade said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Maddoc shrugged while Riven smiled.

"It's alright… I've enjoyed getting to know you during this time." Maddoc said. "We owe it to our Commander."

Jade smiled with a few tears. Riven cleared her throat and they both faced her.

"To Commander James Holland. A man of leadership, loyalty, and honesty!" She said.

"There'll never be another one like him." Maddoc said sadly. "He was a good man!"

"He was the best man I'd ever met." Jade said.

The three of them took a drink and placed the bottles down on the table. They looked around with uncertainty and it created an awkward silence.

"Uh, how about I go get more booze?" Maddoc suggested getting up and not even bothering to listen for answers.

The two girls watched him walk a bit clumsily out of the living room. Jade turned to Riven.

"Riven." She said softly as she placed a hand on the girls' leg. She rose a brow at this action. Jade smiled happily at her.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I know I said this already, but I'm thankful for your presence here."

Riven smiled at the girl.

"Look, I uh I know that you didn't really like me before. I was aware of your feelings for James."

"Well…" Riven said slightly flushing. "I wouldn't say that I didn't like you, I was just say… a bit jealous and envious?"

Jade shrugged with a laugh.

"Still, I'm glad you went out of your way to help me in this time of grieving. You're a good person, and a true friend."

She soon exhaled. "Just, hard to believe he's dead."

Frowning at this, Riven took Jades chin gently with her fingers.

"Jade, your world can change in the blink of an eye. All it takes is one event, one unexpected event, and suddenly the world as you know it... is changed forever. The one that you held dear, the one you held close is just washed away into a sea of memories."

She took a deep breath.

"Life... is cruel, but it continues on... with or without. So often the legacies that we leave behind, are not the ones that we originally intended." Riven said grimly before lightly smiling. "James left behind a legacy that will forever live on in the generations to come. He may be gone, but he's not forgotten. He loved you with all his heart and wouldn't want you to spend the remainder of your days grieving. He'd want you to have a rich and long life."

Jade was crying again, tears of joy.

"Live, for him." Riven said smiling.

The two of them came together in a tight hug, neither wanting to let go as both of them softly cried. They may not have been as close as before, but this tragic event brought them closer than one could imagine. Maddoc came back in with more alcohol, smiling at the two of them embracing.

…

* * *

Outside of the residence, Culda's convoy pulled up on the street. She exited the carriage, a couple of her guards joining her as she looked at the house.

"This bitch has been a pain in my ass for too long. Time to show her what happens when you steal from Culda Graves." She said.

"Madam?" A guard sounded. "She doesn't appear to be alone in the house."

Culda raised a brow before narrowing her eyes. She could see there were a few more figures in the house. An exasperated sigh sounded.

"Oh well looks like it'll be a bit more messy than I thought." She said.

"What do you want us to do with them?"

The woman smiled sinisterly.

"Keep the girl intact, dispose of the rest."


	7. Not Even The Spider Is Safe In Her Web

"Thanks again for being here with me. I'm forever grateful for your presence and comfort." Jade said laying across on the couch.

"You sure you don't wanna sleep upstairs in your bedroom?" Maddoc asked.

"No. No…" She replied. "I'll wake up expecting to see James."

Riven frowned at this and knelt down beside Jade after covering her in a blanket.

"He'll always be with you. He's beside you every day, while being unheard and unseen, he's always near, still loved and still missed." She whispered.

Jade smiled weakly and her eyes began to close. Riven kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Goodnight Jade."

Riven stood up to her full height again, turning to Maddoc who had half a smile. They heard some rustling and could see Katarina finally waking up from her drinking rush.

"Ohhhh…" She groaned.

"Rise and shine." Maddoc said jokingly.

"Where am? Am I still here?"

The two softly laughed at the redhead who got up with a little unbalance afterwards. She slurred a few words.

"You should rest Kat." Riven said coming to her.

"N-no, I can- can't do that. Have some important meeting with… Talon in an hour…"

"But it's 11:30pm!" Maddoc said laughing.

"Personal Du Couteau businessssss…" She said slurring. "Shhhhhh."

Riven and Maddoc didn't say anything else and Katarina went to the backdoor.

"Uh Kat? Why are you going that way?" Riven asked.

"Assassins never use the front door." The redhead said with a toothy grin.

The Sinister Blade opened the backdoor and stepped out. A moment of silenced happened before a loud crash sounded causing the two of them to tense up.

"I'm alright!" Katarina's voice said. "Just had a little run in with the garbage!"

Maddoc looked at Riven sheepishly and then chucked a little with the girl doing the same. He closed the backdoor and went back to her. He crossed his arms and sighed rather happily.

"Well, this week has been quite the different one. It started off grim, but in the end it's kind of improved significantly. James would be proud to see this."

"Yeah…" Riven said trailing off, looking away from her friend.

"Riven?"

The girl wrapped her arms around Maddoc who was surprised, but did the same. Soft cries and sniffles came from her with Maddocs shirt becoming a bit damp.

"Oh Maddoc I miss him so much. I know the words I said to Jade were comforting, but I still can't believe it. I loved him and knowing he's gone makes me feel so empty inside, even when I'm with someone like you. It's just so... lonely."

"Riven." Maddoc said strictly. He had her straighten her posture, the same height as his. The boy brushed aside the girls tears. "I know that losing someone you loved isn't easy, especially when knowing they didn't quite return the same feelings to you. Personally, I'm not sure if you can ever get over something like that." He saw her tears had stopped. "But I'm sure of this. As you said, the world moves on with or without. You can move on too… with someone that shares those same feelings."

Her mouth slightly opened and she took no action when Maddoc brought his lips to hers, their eyes closing. The motion wasn't passionate or long, but it wasn't just a simple kiss. Maddoc had known Riven for a little while before the mission and had feelings for her. He wasn't doing this kiss because of her weak state; he was doing it because he loved her. Their lips parted and eyes opening with a long gaze of silence.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He said.

"Maddoc."

He faced Riven again. Her face came up to his and captured his lips in another kiss. Maddoc returned the favor without second thoughts. All the pain and emotions they had over this past week quickly faded from their minds as they explored each other's bodies with the passionate kissing not stopping.

"Mm... Maddoc… make love to me." She said desperately.

Riven was gently pressed against the wall as they kept kissing. Maddoc brought his hands down to her shirt, beginning to pull it off over her head.

The love making was cut short when a significant crash sounded from the living room where Jade was. Riven and Maddoc immediately snapped out of the state of love and turned to the direction.

"The hell was that?"

A yelp and then a scream were heard. The two quickly ran to the living rooms entrance. They could see Jade being gagged by three figures, not random thieves given their armor. Maddoc immediately grabbed a full bottle of wine and smashed it over one of the assailants' heads. They fell unconscious and the man quickly stole their sword out of the holster. He parred the other guard who noticed him with Riven tackling the third one. Maddoc wasn't entirely experienced with hand to hand combat, but he managed to pin down the guard, his sword aimed at their throats with Riven doing the same.

"Who the hell are you people and what do you want?!" She asked angrily.

The two men scoffed instead of choosing to answer. Footsteps were heard in the back and Riven saw more figures in the same clothing approaching them. She reacted quickly enough to use her pinned victim as a shield when they attempted to stab her. Maddoc threw his instead and the new arrivals tumbled over. They both aimed their swords down, threatening to kill them if they didn't speak this time. Riven had Maddoc ungag Jade and he comforted the terrified girl.

"I won't ask again, what do you want?" Riven demanded.

"We want the black haired bitch, and nothing more." A feminine voice sounded.

The girl recognized it. The same one from the battlefield. She saw a cloaked figure step into the room. They pulled the hood down. It was Culda. Riven glared at her.

"You…. Bitch."

"Captain Minh." Culda said.

A large man stepped in from behind the wall in front of Culda to protect her. His armor was different compared to when he was outside. It was black entirely with the exception of his helmet glowing with two red eyes and numerous armor plates.

"Release them, please." He said referring to his pinned men.

"Culda please! Leave them alone! They've done nothing!" Jade said in the back.

"Shut it." Culda snapped.

Maddoc came up behind Riven, ready to engage with her in combat. Culda cackled at this and gave the Captain permission to engage.

"I was hoping we could avoid causing anymore unnecessary pain, but I guess not everything is easy." He said almost sounding regretful.

Minh ordered his men to stand-down as Riven and Maddoc charged him. He easily blocked Rivens blade and punched her down. Maddoc's blade was grabbed by the armored hand and threw him over the shoulder.

Maddoc tried to get back up and get his weapon, but the Captain quickly stepped on the sword and kicked him away. Riven quickly tried to stab Minh, dodging the man's fist, but unable to avoid the second one. Riven's chin was struck with an uppercut punch from Minhs armored fist. The combination of the hard armor and the man's strength was powerful enough to send Riven flying briefly into the air and flipping over to land on her stomach. Blood dripped from her mouth.

Enraged by this, Maddoc managed to drive his blade into the stomach of Minh, but it had little to no effect. The blade barely went in.

Minh grabbed Maddocs shoulder and firmly gripped it. He began to squeeze as Maddoc tried to resist but the grip got tight enough that a snap could be heard. Culda casted a spell that brought a soundproof barrier around the room as Maddoc let out a blood curdling scream. Riven looked in horror as Maddoc was dropped to the floor, his shoulder broken and he panted as he grasped it.

"Nooo!" She cried out.

Minh pulled the blade out of his armor, looking at it with presumed annoyance before crushing it with his gauntleted fist.

"Nothing without your explosives." Culda snickered.

The wounded man still tried to get up much to Minh's amusement. Maddoc brought his head up to see the Captain reel his foot back before sending it to the man's chin. Maddoc's body went flying like a ragdoll and crashed into the wall. He laid on the floor, body showing no movements and making it hard to know if he was dead or unconscious. Rivens state was no better, but she refused to surrender. She weakly crawled to her sword, but this was halted when a dagger was stabbed through her right hand. Riven screamed in pain at this. She was unable to move, the dagger stuck in the floor and her other hand being stepped on by Culda's foot. The white hair was grabbed and yanked back with Riven being forced to follow. Tears streamed from her eyes at the pain and situation.

"I could kill you right now, but I already killed James and it'd be a shame to wipe out the majority of his unit. Given the boys current state, I think you're the only one left." She snickered.

Riven scowled at the learning of this. She attempted to free her dagger impaled hand despite the pain, but Culda stepped on it with her other foot.

"I will… kill you. Fucking… bitch!" Riven snapped weakly.

Culda cackled at this. She noticed her guards gagging and now tying up Jade. Riven growled at the sound of this.

"Your life will be consumed by absolute loss. You failed to save James, and now you've failed to protect his lover. He would be so disappointed in you."

"Pretty big words for someone like you. Someone who alienated themselves from others because of their anger and arrogance. You have nothing Culda. You're pathetic."

Riven felt another dagger slice across the back of her neck, not cutting deep enough to be fatal, but for a little amount of blood to leak. She hissed at the pain.

"The fact you think mere words can hurt me is hysterical."

"Is it now?" Riven retorted. "I don't know where you got all these guards from, but I know for certain you didn't have access to them at the tip of you finger."

Culda snorted at this. "They're my people."

"Your people? Assuming, of course, that they are still your people and not someone else's. Did they turn to you immediately from their previous leader? How do you know they won't do the same to you?

The woman merely raised a brow.

"Does it depress you, Culda, to know just how alone you really are?" Riven said with a weak chuckle.

A foot pressed down on Riven's head, forcing her to the floor. Culda knelt down beside her ear. "You better shut that mouth right now, or that little bitch Jade will have it worse than what she would originally get." Culda whispered.

The girls screams could be heard making Culda groaned with annoyance. "Shut that little mouth of yours up, or I'll rip your tongue out with my bare hands!" Culda snapped before turning back to Riven. "Which is nothing compared to what I could do to you right now, _bitch."_

Riven turned weakly to spit some blood at Culda who showed disgust and slapped the girl.

"You're lucky I'm unable to move right now. I will hunt you down and cut you into little pieces of meat while you're still breathing." Riven threatened.

The woman cackled again and grabbed the dagger impaled on Riven's hand. She twisted it slightly, causing the girl to cry out in pain, but it was much quieter compared to before.

"You know why I'm choosing not to kill you right now? The real reason is I'm not a tight schedule and simply don't have time for it. I will make your death humiliating. You tried to attack me, The New Grand General of Noxus. The population will beg for your execution. I'll have it happen in the center of the city. Thousands of people jeering for your demise. You'll feel and be alone on that day." She hissed. Culda gave Rivens' breast a rough squeeze and heard her groan loudly in pain. "Little bitch."

Riven heard the screams of Jade and she winced at what she imagined was happening. Culda used her foot to slam Rivens face to the floor and she was knocked out.

…

* * *

"So you want me to teleport to Ionia and um, kill this man?" Elise said almost dumbstruck.

The Deceiver explained to Elise that The Black Rose had unearthed a possible connection related to Culda outside of Noxus. This man was in Ionia.

Back when the Invasion of Ionia began, another one of Swain's top Commanders, Roland Germez, took part in the operation. He was against the movement which led to him quickly becoming unpopular amongst the populace, but Swain still sent him.

Germez never returned and there were rumors he went rogue shortly after arriving. There was no evidence of Culda secretly going to the place and given this time of war it'd be foolish, but Culda was a talented woman. If she informed Germez of her plan to overthrow Swain, but kept out the part about her claiming the title, he'd probably oblige to feed her some intel.

"That's one way of putting it, but I prefer the term "Interrogate"." Leblanc replied.

Elise was silent and merely scoffed at the request.

"You must be out of your mind. Sending a Noxian into Ionian territory during a time such as this? You don't even know if this man has connections to Culda."

"She continues to find out specific details about Swain's weaknesses. She's still using the death of James Holland as her best strategy to get more support. Only Germez would know the history of Swain apart from James and Vermelo." Vladimir said.

"Don't you think it's more possible that she has connections here, in Noxus?"

"Not possible. If anyone was against us, we'd have silenced them long ago." Leblanc said sharply.

"You sure about that?"

The Deceiver tilted her head in minor annoyance. She didn't like being doubted.

The Spider Queen sighed with frustration. "It's always so much easier when we can just assassinate them."

"Wishful thinking dear, but she's someone we can't do that too, given her present influence. It would only spread her message further and put more heat onto Swain. Taking care of Germez, if he's truly involved with her, would send her a message that would be impactful enough to make her rethink her plan."

Elise rolled her eyes. She didn't care for the political scene, but Culda sounded like she would provide numerous problems towards The Black Rose, given that she's already started a war against them with the captures of their members. The Spider Queen hesitantly agreed.

"Why is it always me who has to get my hands dirty and bloody?"

"Because you're the perfect choice!" Leblanc said with a hint of exaggeration.

"Not to mention you've done activities similar to these in the past with a… certain someone." Vladimir said looking away to avoid Elise's glare.

"Biased as usual." She sighed.

Elise set aside her now empty glass and stood up to leave. Leblanc's voice stopped her from entirely going.

"This woman is not to be taken lightly. She knows what she's doing. Be on your guard."

The Spider Queen blinked once with astonishment at Leblanc's words. She sounded rather serious for a change. Shrugging it off, she left the room.

…

* * *

Horses clopped through the clear and calm evening. Elise yawned as she rested her chin on her hand, shoulder resting on the windows edge of the carriage. She reluctantly agreed to take it back to her mansion as opposed to teleportation thanks to Leblanc's additional persistence. She wasn't sure if she should take this Culda woman seriously or not, but she had enough for one day.

A slight disturbance occurred in her mind. She raised a brow, but soon ignored it. Elise slumped down lower, using both her palms to rest her chin. Her eyes closed slowly before the disturbance happened again. She looked around quickly, more tense than the first time but soon shrugged it off.

A faint squeal sounded. This time Elise sat up, knowing that this disturbance wasn't something she could ignore any longer. Soon more squeals and even cries began to sound. The Spider Queen winced at each one, a headache beginning to form.

Elise cocked her head and focused her mind. She established a secure connection with a spiderling at her mansion. She found herself staring up at the boot of an armored man, a few more around him. They were stomping the ground where more cries sounded.

They were crushing her children.

The spiderling Elise was connected to was soon crushed. Her eyes opened with alarm and a gasp sounded. The driver took notice of this.

"Excuse me madam? Everything alright?"

She said nothing. Elise mumbled a few works and dark magic sparked around her. The driver saw this and his eyes widened.

"Elise?! What're you doing?!"

Elise said nothing as she soon disappeared leaving the inside of the carriage empty. The driver exhaled in frustration.

"Leblanc's gonna kill me."

…

* * *

Elise appeared back in her dining hall. The first thing she saw were her faithful servants lying on the floor in pools of blood. Strangely enough, the sounds of her children being squashed had died down. She feared this most likely meant the intruders had killed them all, but remembered she had dozens of them within the deeper parts of her mansion.

"Skitter along my children." She said. "Your queen has to dispose a few uninvited guests."

Dark flames appeared in her palms as her crimson orbs glowed. She would take her revenge on her children's killers. Elise roped up into the darkness.

A group of three men were walking down the corridor after presumably taking care of the majority of The Spider Queen's kin on that floor. Splats were everywhere as they kept noisily walking.

"Why didn't Culda allow us to just burn down the damn place? It would've been much more efficient than killing the little bastards one by one." The first man complained.

"Weren't you listening during the briefing? She wants us to draw the monster out. You know how spiders are with their siblings." The second one said.

"Yeah… uh huh." The first one retorted.

"Gotta say, I didn't expect this place to be so luxurious given who owns it. Plush carpets, silk curtains, highly decorated pi-"

The third one suddenly stopped sounding.

"Highly decorated what?" The first man snorted.

Not hearing their partner reply, the two men turned around to see he had abruptly disappeared. Their eyes widened with horror and they drew their swords. A haunting laugh echoed through the mansion causing them to tense up, weapons shaking in their hands.

"E-Er-Erland? Where'd you go buddy?" The first man shuddered.

"_**The spider I, and you the fly."**_

The second man's throat was suddenly blown open with a blast of magic. Blood poured out as he fell to the floor dead, hand on his throat as a last effort. The first man screamed in terror and immediately sprinted, but his legs were grabbed by a web and he fell to the floor harshly, breaking his nose from the hard impact. Stepping out of the shadows was Elise, that murderous glare aimed at the last intruder. She clutched his jaw harshly, jerking him upwards into a position where he faced her crimson orbs.

"You have one chance, don't piss me off more than you already have."

His expression changed from fear to a scowl immediately and he spat at her. "Wretch!"

He was rewarded by a heeled boot to his throat, Elise pressing down hard while chuckling with amusement at his bloody nose. Her extra legs came into play, choosing to dig into his arms and easily bypassing the armor. The man groaned in pain with clenched teeth. Elise would've continued this, but picked up a noise outside of her residence. She webbed the man and left him there as she went to check. Outside, a convoy of carriages pulled up, numerous men with the same armor as her intruders stepping out. She noticed a large, unique one, his armor black and eyes glowing red. Elise could see a woman in the middle carriage.

"Culda Graves…" She hissed to herself.

The man's groan caught The Spider Queen's attention. Her mouth twitched with mirth and she soon formed a sinister grin. She came down to her victim, running her claws over his now bloody face.

"Shh, it will all be over soon."

The man's mouth was webbed and Elise snapped her fingers. One of her spiderlings the size of a dog appeared behind her. The man let out a muffled scream as he squirmed to continue as the spiderling crawled onto him. Elise cackled when the creature brutally began to devour the man's torso, his muffled screams growing slightly louder.

…

* * *

Outside the mansion, Captain Minh took off his helmet and went to the carriage. He gently knocked.

"Milady? We're here."

"Thank you Captain Minh." Culda replied with an uninterested tone.

"Do you wish for us to advance?"

"Just hang on a minute. Making a few minor adjustments."

He sighed and turned away from the carriage. Minh heard Culda mumble and a larger sound barrier formed around the whole mansion's area. The residence was a bit deserted given its position so the chances of anyone noticing were very slim.

"Captain! We've got something coming out of the building!" A soldier shouted.

Minh turned around to see that a figure was slowly staggering out of the mansion towards him and his unit. He looked with a raised brow and squinted eyes. The man appeared to be one of his, but his uniform was bloody, dirty, and had some webbings around it. One of his soldiers tried to advance on it, but Minh stopped them.

"No." He said with a growl.

The figure got closer where Minh could see more. He had some white bumps on his head, his eyes were pure white. Upon closer inspection, his chin had the same type of bumps similar to his head with some blood too. Minh donned his helmet, eyes glowing red.

"Prepare yourselves." He warned.

Suddenly a rumbling was heard. The soldiers armed themselves with a couple of them being swords and shields with others having some staffs. A horde of large spiders rushed out of the mansion and the figure collapsed onto the ground, his back exploding with smaller spiders coming out.

"Holy shit." Minh mumbled.

The soldiers immediately began to engage the spiders. Magic was fired from those with staffs that easily cut down large chunks of them, but those were quickly replaced by countless new arrivals. The swordsmen used their shield to efficient defense and cut through the spiders with their swords, but soon the overwhelming numbers took the effect as they swarmed the soldiers, taking them down with screams soon being heard as the creatures devoured their prey. Minh's armor allowed him to take more risks, merely shrugging off the bites of the spiders as he kept slicing them down with his embedded blades.

Despite their efforts, the spiders kept coming in such force Minh began to back up. Then he could see a larger, unique spider leaping at him. A black and red hourglass.

Elise in her spider form.

He was slammed into the ground, looking up at the creature with wide eyes under his helmet. She stared him down with a growl.

"How ya doin?" He asked strained with a weak chuckle.

Elise roared at him and sunk her spider teeth into his neck. Minh's armor was effective, but the neck was always the weakest spot. He cried out painfully as he felt her bite him and sent a blade into her stomach. Elise hissed at the pain and loosened her grip as Minh kicked her off. He stood back up seeing that almost a majority of his men had fallen, their dying screams filling the sound barrier.

"Fallback! To the carriage!" He ordered.

The surviving members regrouped at the transports and huddled around Culda's carriage. Hundreds of spiderlings surrounded them, but they couldn't get through the magical barrier Culda had casted around her carriage.

"Culda?! Milday?! Help!" Minh asked with horror in his voice.

Elise transformed back to her human form, a cocky smile on her face as she strutted to the surrounded intruders.

"Tangled in my web." She chuckled.

Suddenly, a blast of magic happened and Elise was knocked back quite the distance from the carriage. The soldiers turned to see Culda had finally stepped out. Her face showed no fear and seemed rather disinterested in the situation. This changed when seeing Elise, an evil grin soon forming.

"Well I'm certainly glad I chose to go with that magical barrier. Worried I'd face no challenge tonight." She snickered.

Elise glared at her. She sent numerous shots of magic at the pair, but the shield simply blocked them. She growled.

"Alright, my turn." Culda replied.

The woman grasped her Luden's Echo. She first casted a protective veil in front of the mansion and then used both hands to raise the staff. She closed her eyes and slammed the object to the ground. The Spider Queen's eyes widened with horror as an explosion of flames erupted and echoed from the area Culda slammed. The hundreds of Spiderlings Elise summoned were ignited and burned in the inferno. Elise casted a protective barrier around herself as she clutched her head in agony as the dying screams of her children, teeth clenched as she kneeled on the ground.

The flames died away, leaving nothing but a burnt lawn that was once filled with grass. Minh and his men were terrified, but Culda quickly ordered them to seize The Spider Queen. The fear she instilled made them obey without moment's notice. Elise recovered from the unexpected tide turn and she glared, sending more magic at the approaching soldiers. She took down three with only Minh and one more being left. Minh leaped at her as he dodged the blast and tackled her to the ground, placing his armored hand over her mouth to prevent her from casting anymore spells. Culda used a spell to bound Elise's arms and legs with silver chains, almost exactly the same as Leblanc.

"Looks like not even the spider is safe in her web." Culda taunted.

Elise merely growled at this, choosing to show no fear. Culda kneeled down to her.

"Alright let's make this simple okay? I'm aware of your little secret group of snakes and I know that they certainly don't like the progress I've been making against their oh so powerful leader Swain." Culda said sarcastically. "Here's what I demand. First, have your friends to leave their hands out of the political scene, and I'll allow them to continue their activities, though under much stricter regulations of mine."

"They don't listen to me. You're delusional if you think they wi-"

Culda cut her off with a chain wrapping around Elise's neck, the grip tightening and cutting off her air supply momentarily before loosening it.

"Did I fucking stutter? Did I ask for excuses?" She snapped. "Since you're choosing not to listen to me, I'll have to be more persuasive. Every time you don't meet my demands, I'll have my men rip off one of your extra legs so I suggest you speak quickly." She cleared her throat. "Have your friends back down from the political scene, please?"

Elise didn't answer and Culda simply gestured to Minh. The Spider Queen exclaimed in pain as he harshly ripped off one of her legs with little effort, tossing it aside with some blood leaking out.

"Might want to go a bit faster eh?" Culda cackled.

The woman kept telling Elise of her demands, but The Spider Queen refused to oblige or agree to any. Minh ripped off her other legs with only one left. Culda finally sighed with frustration at the reality that Elise wouldn't talk.

"Guess we have to do it the hard way." She groaned. "Captain, kill her. The corpse of their beloved members should be enough to send them a clear message."

Culda walked back to her carriage as her two remaining guards prepared to execute Elise. She scowled at them, showing no fear of what would come next. However, the woman felt something was off. A whoosh sounded through the air and she saw an arrow flying directly at her head. Culda swiftly ducked to avoid it and the arrow hit the guard beside Minh. They fell over dead and Culda unintentionally loosened the chains giving Elise the chance to move. Minh looked back to see a man with a bow aiming at Culda. He immediately left Elise and moved to defend the woman.

"CULDA! WATCH OUT!" He shouted.

The woman quickly moved to avoid another arrow and the unknown man shot at Minh. The projectile bounced off his armor with no effect and he quickly grabbed the man's neck, lifting him up as the assailant grasped at the armored hand. Elise was dazed as she weakly sat up.

"ELISE!" The man managed to shout. "RUN!"

It was her driver from the carriage she teleported out of from earlier. She had no time to give appreciations as Minh quickly snapped the man's neck and threw him down. He tended to Culda and helped her back up. The Spider Queen was too exhausted to fight or cast spells. She knew that The Black Rose would soon be engulfed in an underground war with Culda and knew the woman had to be stopped. Using that information Leblanc gave her, Elise weakly casted a portal and crawled into it, leaving the area.

Culda was panting from the attempt to kill her. She looked back at the area where Elise previously was to find that she was gone.

"Where'd she go?!" She snapped.

"I-I don't know milady." Minh said with fear. "She just disappeared after I took care of the assailant."

"Contact your other operatives! They'll pick up any teleportation in this city! Find her!" Culda said.

…

* * *

Riven regained consciousness. She sat up, feeling the stinging pain from earlier quickly spread through her muscles. Her hand was still cut, blood dried up around the open area. She clenched it tightly and weakly stood back up. Riven suddenly remembered the events beforehand.

"Maddoc! Jade!" She cried out.

A familiar groan was heard from the corner, Riven quickly going to it. Maddoc was clutching his broken shoulder, taking in the pain as Riven came down.

"Thank God you're alive! I thought you were dead!" She said hugging him carefully to avoid causing unnecessary pain.

"W-Where's Jade?" He asked weakly.

The girls eyes became fearful. She couldn't see Jade on the couch anymore. Riven went around to the kitchen and she stopped with a gasp of horror. On the tiled floor, Jade's body was lying in a pool of blood. Her body was slightly slashed, clothes ripped up and her legs spread apart. Riven covered her mouth, feeling like she was about to vomit.

Riven whimpered as she picked up the deceased girl. Her face was bloody, but remained unscratched. Tears fell from the girls eyes as she brought Jades face closer to her chest. Her cries turned into wails soon after.

"CULDA!" She screamed angrily.

The girl roared into the air with anger, agony, and vengeance. Maddoc came into the room, seeing what she was going on about. He glared at this and clenched one of his fists together.

...

* * *

James's eyes twitched as he woke up. He was still in the same room as last night, though there was a difference in the look now. He could see beams of light shining through the now open curtains. He assumed they had been covered up the previous night to avoid anyone seeing him and his kidnapper. He inhaled as he sat up rather slowly, feeling the multiple wounds the woman had left on his body as well as the now dried blood on the sheets. He rubbed his neck tiredly with a wince at the pain.

"Morning love." A feminine voice said.

The man was startled and quickly became more aware. He noticed he wasn't in his armor anymore, just his boxers. He noticed the woman humming soundly while sitting with her legs crossed on a chair in a corner of the room. She appeared to be cleaning something. James took a closer look and saw it was his armor.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked menacingly.

Evelynn giggled and turned to him, that naughty smile on her face.

"Figured your clothing could use a bit of freshening up love. Can't have my new partner in crime go around looking all filthy now can I?"

"How did I get out of those?" He asked with concern.

The Agony's Embrace have him a sly smile with a tilted head, eyes blinking seductively. James's eyes widened and he put his hands on his body feeling he was violated. He noticed his sidearm on a nearby desk. She must've chosen to put it there to gain his trust. Foolish idea. James looked back to Evelynn who didn't move. James grabbed it and aimed it at the succubus, fingers ready to pull the trigger.

"Go ahead honey, it's not loaded."

The Commander didn't believe her and pulled the trigger. It clicked.

"Ooooh, that hurts honey." Evelynn pouted. "You didn't show any hesitation in shooting me. I admire that."

Evelynn held up the clip for the weapon. James glared at her.

"When did you take my clip? Actually, when did you find my gun?"

"I found your clip when I was pulling those dirty pants off your legs. Was almost tempted to feast on your little friend down there." Evelynn giggled again. "I found your weapons long before you awakened Commander. You were unconscious for over a week."

"OVER A WEEK?!" He shouted furiously.

"Calm down love, I kept you alive didn't I? You should be thanking me."

He groaned with disgust at her words. "Give me the clip."

Evelynn rose a brow at this, her usual smile fading with an unamused look. She stood up from the chair, strutting to the man who continued to aim the empty weapon at her.

"Say please." She said twirling the object around in her claws.

"Please." James groaned.

She giggled and carelessly tossed the clip into the air. James made a dash for it, but felt himself get grabbed by one of Evelynn's lashers and he was slammed into the wall. She caught the clip and stole the sidearm from him. James groaned fearfully at the turn of events.

"Come on, you don't know how to use that thing!" He growled.

The succubus cackled and simply put the clip into the weapon. She pulled the chamber back and aimed at James's head. His mouth was agape with fear and his eyes were no different.

"You think I'm stupid?" She asked with a hint of fake-hurt in her voice.

James grunted. He wasn't enjoying any of this and the fact she was using his weapon against him made the man embarrassed.

"No no, I just didn't think you knew ho-"

Evelynn cut him off using the front of the gun to slap him a few times. Her mouth was frowning now.

"Listen you ungrateful bastard, I may have stalked you beforehand, I can understand why you don't trust me or like me and even want to kill me. But ever since you got here I've done nothing but give you my hospitality. I tended to your wound, I kept you hydrated, I kept you healthy."

"For the sole purpose of keeping my strength up so I'd feel everything fully when you would torture me." James snorted.

Evelynn hissed at him, bringing the tip of the weapon to his chin. Her clawed hand digging into his scalp.

"That may be, but you showed to me last night that you're unlike any man I've had before. You're certainly someone I'll be keeping around for a much longer time than I anticipated. I had a change of heart last night when I went to sleep. The feeling of helping you get back at that bitch who tried to kill you, it'd give me far greater pleasure than ever before."

James's brows rose in rather surprised. Evelynn removed the weapon from his chin making him feel more relaxed.

"I want to help you Commander. I'm not sure why I'm so eager to do so, but I want to help you hunt down this woman and make her suffer."

"You? Someone who presumably doesn't do stuff like this and only does one night stands. You, want to help me? In all honesty?" James said astonished.

The woman sheepishly looked at him, bringing the weapon down to her side. She brought her lips to his ears.

"Yes."

The man blinked in disbelief. He couldn't tell if she was actually being serious or not. Evelynn let him go, the lashers moving back. James looked at her. Evelynn spun the weapon around so she was now holding it by the barrel. She offered it to James who was speechless now. It seemed like she was offering him her trust.

James reluctantly took the sidearm. Evelynn then extended her clawed hand, hinting for a handshake to seal the deal. James slowly brought his hand up to join hers. They shook on it, but then Evelynn yanked it back and he was jerked forward, their temples touching with James panting heavily and glaring. She had on that lusty smile again.

"Don't think this means I'm done with you yet love. After this is over, I still may want to finish what I started with you." She giggled.

"Noted." He replied nonchalantly.

Evelynn growled quietly, almost feeling insulted by this. She let go of him and pushed James back down onto the bed. He didn't aim the gun her, showing that he trusted her too, though very reluctantly. She got off the bed.

"Go take a shower. Your tongue may taste good, but your body is entirely different." She said without looking.

James set aside his weapon. He raised his arm for a brief smell and realized she was right. He had been unconscious for over a week after all.

"_Maybe she could've kept me clean as well."_ He thought. James soon shuddered. _"Never mind scratch that, I'm grateful she didn't._

"Wait." He said to Evelynn. She stopped walking and turned to him, head slightly tilted again. "Where am I?"

She giggled before answering his question. "You're in Ionia love."

James's arms slumped down with a frustrated sigh. "That's just great." He mumbled.

…

* * *

Dawn was happening in the Ionian land. The trees blowing ever so gently with the light breeze.

A portal formed around the area with Elise soon tumbling out of it onto the grass. She rolled with a groan and came to a stop. The Spider Queen winced as she stood up, the pain in her back still present from her ripped off legs. She took in her surroundings, wondering where to start looking for her target.


	8. James Holland

James took his now clean armour with him as he proceeded to the bathroom. He entered the tiled room, rather taken aback by it's prestigious look. Setting aside his gear and taking off his boxers, the man turned on the water, waiting for it to warm up. Just to be on the safe side, James took his sidearm into the shower with him and placed it aside in the event Evelynn jumped him.

The hot water felt good on the man's body. It soothed his muscles and made him feel cleaner compared to when he came in. James took some body wash, lathering it in his hands and applying it to himself. He began to merrily whistle a tune as he showered. The feeling of the warm water must've made his spirits feel higher. Once the washing was taken care of, James took care of his hair.

Then he heard a giggle.

His eyes opened up expecting to see Evelynn in the shower with him. He hid his sidearm from view as he tensed up. The man then heard the door of the shower opening, a lusty figure stepping inside.

A yelp was heard as James pulled the woman into the shower. She slammed against the wall with an orgasmic gasp as James aimed his sidearm.

"You don't need the gun Commander." Evelynn said with a lustful smile.

He chuckled at this, not bringing the weapon down. The woman had a different appearance now. Her skin was white, eyes blue, hair black with a few bangs up front colored blue. James was a bit surprised.

"With you around, I think I'll be needing it on me at all times." James replied. "Why are you in here."

"I came to give you some new clothes. Your other ones won't blend in well with this place." Evelynn said. "Then I heard you whistling and when I saw you cleaning yourself, ooooh it just made me so excited."

Rolling his eyes, James lowered the sidearm. Unfortunately, Evelynn seized this chance and ran to him, pressing her forehead against his and clawed hands cupping his cheek. James accidentally dropped his sidearm.

"That's close enough." He growled.

"Hmm, you know you want me." Evelynn whispered.

"Back. Off."

Evelynn purred and forced her tongue through James's lips. His teeth remained clenched with the woman growling. Instead she chose to nibble on his lips, digging into them with her fangs. James flinched at this and pushed Evelynn away from him with his lip being stretched. There was a little blood on his lip and he glared at her. James went for the gun but Evelynn kicked him down and jumped on top of him. The man rolled with her on the bottom.

"You think you can break me Commander?" She moaned.

James got off her and went for the gun. Evelynn swiftly got up and pushed him to the floor again. She jumped on him and began to squeeze his torso with her thighs. James exclaimed at the pain of his ribcage slightly getting crushed and tried to pry her off him. He got up with Evelynn hanging on with her legs and slammed her against the tiled walls.

"YES!" She screamed.

Evelynn squeezed harder, James gasping at the pain his stomach continued to get. Fed up, the man lifted Evelynn up into the showerhead where the water was coming from and turned the faucet all the way to the left. Evelynn's blissful and orgasmic embrace soon turned into rare screams of pain as she felt the steaming water soak her head. James felt her grip loosen and flipped her over his shoulder with her landing on the hard plastic floor. He finally retrieved his gun.

"No, no, no." He said aiming the gun at her.

Evelynn pouted at his denial of her advances, her hair silky and soaked.

"Please. Leave." He said with clenched teeth.

She scowled at him. "BASTARD!"

The woman stood up and stomped out of the shower and soon the bathroom finally leaving James in peace. He slumped against the walls and turned off the faucet. The man panted at the tussle. James knew this was going to be a very shaky alliance and he'd probably be stopping her advancements every five minutes.

"_No matter, the sooner I return to Noxus, the sooner I'll see Jade and bring Culda to justice. Preferably anyway."_ He thought to himself.

Outside of the bathroom, Evelynn was leaning against the wall, head arched back with her eyes looking up at the ceiling. She felt the same feeling as last night. James fighting against her advances on him. Oddly enough, Evelynn felt a bit hurt by this. She was feeling something for him she never believed was possible and seeing him reject her even when he had good reason to do so kind of made her feel... pain.

The woman went away from the door, arms crossed as she continued to think about this new feeling.

James didn't trust Evelynn, but he had to admire her choice of clothing. She'd set out a red, silky long-sleeved button-up shirt with grey trousers and a grey blazer. They did seem like the type of clothes to wear around here compared to Noxus anyway. He put them on, taking a look in the mirror. He grimaced at the sight of his scar and quickly covered it with a bandana.

The man exited the bathroom, looking down the hallways for any signs of the woman. With a shrug, he chose a random direction and set off.

…

* * *

Elise stumbled as she slowly gained the strength to walk. The pain of her torn off legs certainly was taking its toll, but she pressed on. She eventually came across a lone house that was surrounded by trees. The Spider Queen was weak and the unfortunate soul that was occupying the house would have to do. Quietly sneaking around, she peeked in through the window to see a lone man sitting in his chair, seemingly asleep. Elise snapped her fingers and in the blink of an eye she was inside. Wasting no time, Elise quickly straddled herself onto the sleeping man who reacted quickly, eyes wide open with shock and fear. Elise webbed his mouth to shut him up.

"You have no idea how hungry I am right now."

She reared her head back and sank her fangs into the man's neck. Blood spurted out as he squirmed to get the woman off, but she kept him pinned. The floor was littered with crimson as the man's struggle died down. Elise got off him, her mouth all bloody as she took deep breaths, feeling her energy and power come back to her.

The Spider Queen sealed off the windows with her magic and locked the door in the event any unexpected visitors stopped by, though given the area she doubted it. She used the former owner's shower, cleaning the remnants of his blood off her body. Elise went to the mirror, seeing her current appearance. The crimson eyes and the spider leg on her back wouldn't serve her well in this territory. With a snap of her fingers, Elise's appearance changed. Her hair changed to silver and eyes to blue. Her extra spider leg folded out of sight. She smirked, knowing she'd probably draw less attention now to herself.

Hopefully.

Elise stepped out of the house, not intending to return. Exiting the forest, she could see a large village in the distance, almost city-like. She remembered this place, having a secret residence that she shared with a friend. Elise wondered if she'd run into her. Regardless, she set off.

…

* * *

"Hello?" James asked in the rather quiet mansion. He got no response. "Wonder if she's really upset over me rejecting her in the shower. Oh that'd be priceless."

He had no idea how the succubus could afford comfort such as this. He figured she probably killed the person who owned this and just did the same to anyone else who was curious. His stomach growled again.

James found what he assumed was the kitchen given the cabinets and sinks. Taking the simpler option, he helped himself to a large green apple. Running it under the sink with a paper towel to dry it, he took a bite. The crunching slightly echoed through the room, James enjoying the watery and sour taste of the fruit. Footsteps were heard from another entrance with the man turning his head in the direction. It was Evelynn, her appearance a bit different again with her hair being blonde. She looked entirely human. The Commander gestured a greet with his chin and Evelynn ignored it.

"Well someone's certainly cranky compared to last night."

"Shut up." Evelynn snapped, not even making eye contact. She sat down at the table, looking blankly ahead. James wasn't sure why, but it made him frown. The woman looked depressed and he felt a pinch of guilt. Sighing, James sat down next to Evelynn with her not even turning to face his presence.

"Hey." He said taking her arm gently. Evelynn tensed up and turned to James with a scowl making him flinch. "Relax! I just wanna talk."

Evelynn narrowed her eyes and gestured for the man to continue.

"I suppose that in the shower, while you had no business being in there in the first place," He said with clenched teeth. "I could've been more calm and not threatened to immediately shoot you."

She merely tilted her head, the feline eyes becoming less narrow. James couldn't believe his was doing it and his throat felt sore for saying these words.

"I'm… sorry about that." James almost vomited at the words.

He looked away with minor humiliation. She'd dragged him here in the first place, did god knows what to him when he was unconscious and almost killed him last night, yet he was the one doing the apologies because she jumped him in the shower. Maybe it was the rare hospitality she provided, but that didn't really even it out for him. James heard Evelynn giggle.

"Typical men. Always feeling sorry for the damsel in distress. You're weak Commander."

"Excuse me?" He asked glaring at her. Evelynn was grinning sinisterly with her claws on his chin.

"I was testing you Commander. Seeing if you would feel guilty about your actions against the woman who stalked and seduced you all because you rejected her advances. You're no different."

"Apparently I'm weak because I care about the feelings of others, even if they aren't say, entirely human? Alright makes sense to me." He said sarcastically.

"No, no, no, ignorant brute. You're weak because you feel sympathy for those the moment they seem to be in despair and you apologise, no matter how many times that person has wronged you in the past or what their actions were!" Evelynn snapped. "You might want to take notes from me. I feel no sympathy for those I hunt down and torture. I giggle delightfully as I eviscerate their bodies as they beg me to stop! I feast upon my favourite organs that I rip from them!" She cackled almost madly. "I use every part of their torment, nothing is wasted."

James could only squint his eyes with a raised brow and winced expression. "You really are bat-shit crazy." Evelynn shrugged with a proud smile. "And yet, you seem to be falling for me?" He sneered.

The woman hissed at him again. She used one clawed finger to cut the side of his head above the bandana, a little bit of blood trialing down. James groaned.

"Clearly you're brawn over brains honey."

"Am I now? Is it wrong to assume you have different feelings for me because you haven't done any of those things you talked about yet? Is that why you almost granted my request to merely slit my throat as opposed to torturing me slowly to death?" James asked.

Evelynn looked into his eyes like she was mesmerized by his words. Her expression took a worried look, almost seeming she would burst into tears. James allowed her to place her hands on the bandana and slowly pull it down to reveal his scar again. Cooing at him, Evelynn placed her flat palm on his cheek. James and Evelynn stared into each others eyes. It felt like they had a connection.

"No honey." She said calmly.

James felt a sharp pain again on his cheek as she harshly slapped him. The man was knocked off the chair and Evelynn pounced on him again. He glared at this knowing he fell for it. His eyes widened as the woman turned back to her normal form, skin blue, hair white, and nearly nude except for the shadows covering her. James feared for his life when she entered her demon shade. Evelynn leaned down, showing him her bloody fingers before licking the blood off them.

"_**Careful with your words Commander. Just because I may have different feelings for you doesn't mean anything. Do not think you are safe because I've show you this treatment.**_ _**Do not think I won't stain my mouth red with your blood too."**_

James felt he was glued to the floor and couldn't stop the demon from going to his cut cheek, sucking some more blood out of it. He quietly groaned at the pain, eyes shut tight as the succubus giggled. Eventually she pulled back, mouth rather bloody from the wound she created.

"Do we understand each other love?" She asked returning back to her usual appearance.

James was clearly angered by this, but he reluctantly nodded.

"Great!" She said getting up. James attempted to get up, but Evelynn pressed him back down with her foot. She took a cloth and threw it at him. "Clean yourself up."

She pressed down roughly before releasing her foot. Evelynn strutted out of the kitchen as James cleaned up his bloody wound.

"Wait!"

The woman stopped, slightly turning her head at James's voice, but not facing him.

"If we're going to be partners, I think we should know each others names." He said. Evelynn figured this was a futile attempt to win back some of her pleasantness and James was actually doing it for that sole reason.

"Give me your name Commander, and I'll give you mine."

"Alright, alright." He mumbled. "It's James. James Holland."

"_Pretty cute name for a Noxus Commander." _Evelynn thought and giggled out loud.

"Evelynn." She replied.

"Is that it?" James asked. Evelynn ignored him and walked away. "Um, uh, good to meet you, Evelynn!"

…

* * *

Evelynn went to her bedroom again, almost as distraught as the evening before. She looked at her bloody hands and quickly grimaced. She went to the bathroom, running the sink and washing the blood of James off her claws and mouth.

"He's more intelligent than I imagined." She said to herself. "I'm not sure I can do a thing like that to him again. Why don't I want to hurt him? What's happening to me?"

…

* * *

James finished cleaning his wound with the blood finally drying up and the skin slowly beginning it's healing phase. He sighed and leaned back into a chair. He was more afraid of Evelynn compared to his attitude last night and earlier. James knew that he'd have to avoid pissing her off anymore than he already had.

A clicking sound was heard nearby. James picked this up and carefully went to the source to find the presumed front door of the building. The lock was being turned and he immediately tensed up. James drew his sidearm, figuring and hoping this wouldn't be Evelynn playing another trick on him. Any person, or thing, that knew of this place would probably know of or even be friends with Evelynn.

Bracing himself against the wall, James watched the knob turn. Once the door was open, a pale looking woman stepped in. James immediately knew it wasn't Evelynn and the unknown woman quickly noticed him. He used his advantage to grab her neck and pressed her roughly against the wall, quickly bringing the pistol to her face. The woman showed no discomfort, only an annoyed look.

"Who are you? What're you doing here?" James demanded.

"I could ask the same to you, given that you're trespassing in my home." She retorted.

His brows rose with suspicion. The woman's annoyed look quickly became a smile when he noticed an extra leg come out of her back. His eyes were drawn to it and the woman seized her chance.

James's chin was met with an uppercut punch from the woman's fist. He staggered back from the blow as the woman fired a web at his weapon, knocking it out of his hand. James was surprised by this and failed to dodge another web that was shot. He paced back from the impact, but managed to avoid the next shot and lunged forward. The pair fell to the floor and rolled across with blows being exchanged. They stopped in the kitchen with the woman on top, but James quickly kicked her off. They crouched down slightly, eyeing their opponents' movement as they paced like two wolves in a showdown.

"What's going on here?" Evelynn's voice sounded.

The two of them stopped, looking to see Evelynn walk back into the kitchen. She noticed the new arrival and was a bit surprised to see her.

"Elise?"

"Evelynn?"

James felt his situation grow worse. The fact that these two knew each other made things worse, especially assuming that this woman was probably a close friend of Evelynn.

"What're you doing here?" Evelynn asked.

"I could ask the same of you, especially given that this… brute isn't dead yet?" Elise said referring to James.

"Whoa hey now that's a little uncalled for." James said.

"You grabbed my neck and aimed a weapon at me after I opened the door."

Evelynn glared at James upon learning this. He felt that she'd probably rip off a piece of his skin now.

"Well… maybe I did go overboard. But given that the only people who probably knew about this place were friends of hers, I can't imagine them doing anything other than immediately killing me." James replied.

Elise looked away and gave a gesture of slight agreement. She turned to Evelynn. "Why are you here? Who is this man?"

"This is the same man I told you about last week. He's the one I begged you to teleport me to." Evelynn said.

"And he's still alive? Oh my Evelynn, are you going soft?" Elise snorted.

She glared at the woman, fists clenched. "He's hunting someone who betrayed him on the battlefield."

Elise's eyes lit up with amusement. "What a coincidence, so am I. Who's he hunting?"

Evelynn opened her mouth to speak, but then squinted her eyes as she didn't know the name. She and James did just learn of their names after all. She turned to him. "Oh James." She said with a sing song voice making him shudder slightly. "Who's the person you're hunting love?"

This caught Elise's attention. She recognised the name from Leblanc's meeting. James cleared his throat. "Her name is Culda Graves."

"Culda Graves?" Elise said interrupting Evelynn.

"Yes."

Elise quickly went to James who backed up a bit, feeling uneasy with her sudden change in attitude. She looked into his eyes, noticing the different color.

"Is your name James Holland?" She asked with slight suspicion.

James nodded as a response. Elise's eyes widened with shock.

"You're believed to be dead amongst the population of Noxus, from what I've heard anyway." Elise said.

"Sorry to disappoint I guess." James replied sarcastically. "What's that got to do with your question about Culda?"

Elise scowled at the mention of her. After what she did to The Spider Queen earlier, Elise wasn't very fond of hearing the name. She began to explain the whole reason behind it.

…

* * *

"Oh that's just great." James said leaning his head back at the information Elise told him.

Culda had used his presumed death to her advantage along with exposing new secret information about Swain. The woman had gained large amounts of supporters over such a short period of time and it kept growing.

"She always was the type of person to lie." He mumbled.

"My, my, I didn't know we'd be hunting down a person such as this." Evelynn giggled. "I cannot wait to feast upon her delicious agony."

"You're still down for this?" James asked with amazement. "I thought you'd have forgotten about it after hearing she's in another goddamn part of the world."

Evelynn ignored it and Elise was also surprised, but that wasn't important to her right now.

"It'll be easier said than done." Elise said. "She's smart, she's methodical, and she knows what she's doing."

"You teleported here yes?" James asked. Elise nodded. "Why can't you just teleport us back to Noxus so we can expose this to the public?"

Elise sighed before giving her explanation. "Last night when I returned to my mansion after my meeting, I found it had been intruded by the personal guard of Culda. They were waiting for me and knew I'd be out and knew when I'd be on my way back. I have a feeling she's found a way to track all teleportation spells which explains how she's managed to make several abductions. If we did that, she'd track us down easily and prevent us from seeing the daylight ever again."

"So why are you here then? Why couldn't you just assassinate her? I thought The Black Rose did that with all their problems." James said with a hint of sarcasm.

Elise merely growled and ignored how he knew of the organization. "If she were to be assassinated, it'd just make the situation worse. I've been informed that she may have a possible connection here in Ionia. His name's Roland Germez. If we can hunt him down and um, _persuade him_, it'd send a message to her to hopefully step down."

"Roland Germez? I knew him. Thought he went rogue."

"That's what we thought too, but the only people closest to Swain were him, you, and Hector Vermelo. Unless the Colonel's faking his own death, Germez is our likely target."

"Faking his death?" James said with a forced chuckle afterwards. "Excuse me, uh, your crazy friend here was stalking me prior to my presumed death. I didn't ask to be rescued."

"Yet here you are... James." Evelynn said with a smug smile. "You're being offered a chance to get back at someone who wronged you, all because of me."

He rolled is eyes in annoyance. Evelynn giggled and Elise just shrugged before advancing to James.

"What do you say Commander? Will you help us hunt down this man and bring this woman to justice?"

"Justice? Pretty ironic to hear someone from The Black Rose talk about that." James snorted.

Elise glared at him with her arms crossed. James looked away, clearly not pleased with his given choices, but he'd take what he could get if it meant getting back at the person who took everything from him.

"If this will begin the motion of Culda's downfall, then I will provide my assistance." He said.

"Excellent." Elise said with a pleased smile. "Come, we must make haste. I know a friend here who could probably narrow down our search."

James grumbled in agreement and stood up. As he walked out, Elise turned to Evelynn with a raised brow.

"What the hell are you doing? Why did you keep him alive?!"

"Why? Are you jealous you'll never be able to have him all to yourself?" Evelynn giggled.

Elise rolled her eyes. "No, I'm wondering why you kept him alive, and even more so choosing to help him hunt down this person!" She whispered. "This isn't you Evelynn."

"What a girl can't say no to a good time?"

The Spider Queen gave the succubus an exasperated look and threw her hands up signaling her cease of questions.

"All I'm saying is you might be feeling something for him. Something you never thought was possible." Evelynn glared at Elise who soon smirked at the reaction. "Ah look at that, maybe I'm onto something here! Is The Agony's Embrace falling in love?" She cackled.

The Spider Queen managed to avoid a deadly lasher aimed at her as she retreated from the kitchen. Evelynn stood there blushing slightly not looking up. Her fists were clenched as she realized the truth.

She wasn't falling for the man, but she was most definitely and undeniably developing feelings for him.


	9. Souls

"I didn't realise that we'd have to be posing as a couple." James said with clenched teeth.

"Aw cheer up Commander." Elise sneered. "You two look adorable! Could pass for a couple anywhere."

Evelynn secretly glared at The Spider Queen as she walked with James's hand around her waist. She was dressed in a silky red dress, her hair blonde again with her eyes being brown. James had his other hand shoved in his pocket as Elise walked slightly ahead, leading them to her friend.

James was surprised to see the Ionians of this city-like village being in a cheerful state given that their land was being invaded by Noxus.

"_Ignorance is bliss I suppose." _He thought to himself.

Evelynn made no eye contact with James who did the same. She was blushing at the feeling of his hand on her, but it was hard to tell with the bright sun shining and her skin being a bit pink.

"Are we getting close?" James asked Elise.

"You aren't enjoying holding her curvy hips with your hand?" Elise replied.

James glared and Evelynn did the same with another blush. Elise laughed heartily at this and figured she should tone it down. Finally, they reached a bar. It wasn't even noon yet so it was closed, but Elise had history with the owner. She knocked on the entrance, waiting for the reply.

"_Holy shit you alcoholics are unbelievable! We aren't open until 12pm!" _A voice sounded.

The door was quickly swung open with an angry looking man standing there. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped at the sight of the visitor. Elise smirked with her arms crossed.

"Oh! Terribly sorry madam! Didn't know it was you!"

Elise merely cackled at this and let the man know he was forgiven with a quick kiss. He stepped aside to let them in. James and Evelynn followed with the man giving a suspicious stare at him. James ignored this. He removed his hand from Evelynn's waist which made her look at him, pace stopping briefly. She felt a bit hurt by this.

The Spider Queen walked around the empty bar like she owned the place. James kept pace with her and Evelynn was right behind him. They met with her at a hallway where she was facing the wall. Elise waved her hand, the wall quickly disappearing to reveal a dark, dungeon-like hallway. The only sources of light were torches on the walls. James gulped at this while Evelynn's eyes widened with excitement.

"Wait. Is this… his…?" She trailed off.

Elise grinned as a response. "It certainly is."

Evelynn squealed with joy and quickly took off down the hallway with the excitement of a child. Elise tried to stop her but realized it was pointless. James followed The Spider Queen down the dark hallway, feeling uneasiness growing inside him every passing second.

"Have you heard of The Shadow Isles, Commander?" Elise asked not looking back.

James made some expressions as he thought of what to say given the history of the realm. They practically killed for fun and their reach across Runeterra was growing bigger each passing year allowing them extend their range and reap helpless souls. He feared them far more than The Black Rose.

"On occasion. I didn't believe that Evelynn was a real thing but I knew of The Shadow Isles. Is this one of their um… outer locations for feasting upon souls?"

He tried to ignore Elise's haunting cackle.

"You will have to ask the operator of this establishment. I do not care for The Shadow Isles as much anymore. The Black Rose has much more interesting activities."

"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" James asked.

"What does it matter, you're already dead right? Oh wait, only The Black Rose knows that." Elise replied with a smirk and making James raise his brows with concern.

"_Skank."_ Evelynn's voice said.

The other two reached their destination. The room matched the hallway with the torches now being green flames instead. Pictures of ghastly beings were on the walls, a carpet in the centre underneath a wooden table with a few chairs opposite to it. James could see Evelynn with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall scowling at the figure who was sitting in the chair on the correct side of the table. Two ears on their head with black silky hair with a seemingly less clothed red and white kimono. James noticed numerous white tails swirling around at the legs of the chair and finally an orb.

"No way." He said to himself.

Ahri The Nine Tailed Fox.

"What do we have here?" Ahri giggled leaning closer.

James was pushed aside as Elise moved past him giving the fox an unamused look. She crossed her arms.

"Where is he?"

The fox separated her folded hands giving a half assed shrug. She was immediately curious on the man standing in the back. A lustful smile on her face.

"Who is this fine man? A snack for me?" She snickered.

A lasher struck the wall behind Ahri with the tendril an inch from her ear. The fox girls' hair whooshed, but she didn't flinch. She turned her attention to Evelynn who was glaring tensely.

"Someone's jealous." She giggled.

Ahri's attention was turned back to Elise when The Spider Queen violently slammed her fist on the table. James jumped a little at the action while no one else did.

"I don't have time for games fox. Where is the warden?" Elise demanded.

The fox merely pouted at the woman, looking down at the table to see she'd put a dent in it.

"He's not gonna be happy about that."

Elise hit the table again with more strength, using her claws to splinter a piece and rip it off. Ahri met the murderous glare of Elise.

"He won't be happy to find the body of a slut like you if you don't answer her question." Evelynn cut in.

Ahri huffed at Evelynn with half a smirk. She wasn't greatly hurt by the words, but she and The Agony's Embrace were not fond of one another.

"He won't be happy to find the body of a demon, a fellow Shadow Isler, and a lusty, irresistible hunk like him on his floor." Ahri said referring to James. He noticed her orb began to change different colors and her eyes glowing yellow.

Evelynn was unconcerned with the threat and Elise was amused. James ran his hand down his face in frustration at the pointless standoff, but his attention was drawn to an unsettling green mist in front of his face now. He raised a brow and leaned back a bit when he saw skeleton hand begin to form. James tried to ignore it, but noticed the hand reach to him and the man quickly began to blow at it. The women heard this and looked at James.

"Shoo. Shoo." He said.

The misty hand went away but another formed to James's left. He glared and blew again with more force. The hand put up more resistance and he waved at it to make it fade away. Evelynn gasped and James looked at her.

The man's neck was grabbed by a scythe with glowing green chains. He grasped it and was pulled back to see a deadly sight. He was staring into a skull with green flames burning around it, a heavy rugged coat with a key hanging down the centre. James could see an eerie green lantern brought to his face.

Thresh The Chain Warden.

"Why do you blow away those who want you? Did you ever stop to think that they wanted give a friendly greeting?" Thresh whispered to James who shuddered in complete fear.

"Chain Warden stop!" Elise's voice said.

The Warden looked up to see his fellow accomplice, Elise The Spider Queen. Ahri was sitting in his chair and he looked to the right to see Evelynn, The Agony's embrace.

"What brings you here Elise?" He asked.

"I will tell you, but first release him." Elise said referring to James. "He's a friend."

Thresh squinted his eye sockets and looked at James. His skull mouth closed giving the hint he was having a difficult time believing this.

"Friends with a mortal being? Perhaps you've been spending too much time from the Shadow Isles Elise." Thresh cackled.

The Warden released James who fell to the floor grasping his neck. Evelynn came to his aid to everyone's surprise, even Thresh. James reluctantly accepted her helping him up.

"T-Thanks." He said catching his breath.

Evelynn gave a little smile before turning to Thresh. Her breathing became more intense and louder with her mouth agape. The Warden raised an eye socket.

"Ooh, I love watching you work." She said.

Thresh kept the socket raised before lowering it and ignoring Evelynn.

"No point with the googly eyes, you're a bit late on that part."

He passed Elise and went to Ahri who stood up from the chair, gesturing her hand for him to sit. The Warden sat down, turning his head to Ahri where they shared a short kiss. James almost vomited at the sight while Elise looked away. Evelynn pouted with her shoulders slumped.

"Thank you for keeping my guests' patient Ahri. You may carry on if you wish." Thresh said.

The Nine Tailed Fox smiled and nodded to the undead man. She casually walked past Evelynn who continued to scowl before stopping by James. He slowly turned his attention to the fox girl who was smiling at him with lust. She brought her orb up to show it to him. James looked with disinterest.

"I've got a special part reserved for you in there, handsome." She purred.

Ahri moved to remove the bandana covering James's face, but another lasher struck the wall, nearly cutting off her hand. Ahri yelped with fear and stumbled back. James was surprised but took no action. Evelynn glared at Ahri and the fox girl did the same, but knew that she should be on her way. She exited the room, merrily skipping down the hallway.

"Now then…" Thresh said getting the attention focused back onto him. "…what brings you here, Elise?" He asked bringing his hands together and leaning forward in a business-like manner. The Spider Queen sat down in the chair with James and Evelynn sitting between her.

Elise began to explain.

…

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?!" A voice shouted in the bedroom of the mansion.

"I did what needed to be done my love." Culda replied. "I did it because nobody else in the history of Noxus had ever done it before."

Culda was in Balgan Darkwill's mansion. It was the morning after her significant attack on The Black Rose. He knew she slipped away during the night and waited for her return, but the woman spent all night looking for the possible locations of where Elise could've teleported to. She found nothing and eventually returned to Balgan's to get back into bed with him, but he was awake all night and demanded answers.

"What needed to be done?!" Balgan replied. "You've started a war with one of the deadliest organizations in the world! You attacked one of their most prominent members and you can't even find her now?! Do you have any idea what will happen?!"

"Yes I DO!" Culda snapped back She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "The Black Rose will quiver in fear at the mention of my name. Swain will learn that I am his better, not his equal. The Black Rose will either disband if they refuse my commands, or they will die trying to stop me."

"This is suicidal foolishness." Balgan said. "You know what they've done to others who have tried to expose them and Swain in the past. Even those who believed they could get the better of the shady group always ended up stepping down, or dead. What makes you think this'll be any different?"

Culda snapped out of state of anger, a loving grin coming onto her face as she got up. Balgan watched silently as the woman retrieved an object from her bag. She brought it to the man to show him.

"What is that?"

"This my dear Balgan, is a Void Staff." Culda said raising it in the air. "As it's name implies; it is reminiscent of The Void. The dark nightmarish dimension said to exist outside space and time."

"Culda…" Balgan said with very clear uneasiness. "…where are you going with this?"

She laughed at the question, bringing the object to her eyes.

"What I'm saying is with this staff, we could summon the nightmarish denizens from that dimension, and unleash them upon our enemies. The Black Rose, Ionia, Demacia, Piltover, The Freljord… EVERYWHERE!" She said looking into the object with a wide grin.

Balgan was horrified at this. Culda was completely mad.

"Where did you get that?"

"It's just a glimpse of the secrets that Ionia has buried under their lands. I had my men dig it up last week and wanted to show you, but I figured I should wait after the business with The Black Rose to show you." Culda said. "Foolish Ionians, secrets kept are weapons wasted."

Balgan couldn't find the words as Culda lovingly at him, brushing her hand along his cheek. He was speechless.

"Don't you see Balgan? We won't have to worry about The Black Rose. They'll be too afraid to take any action and will bow to me. I will be The New Grand General of Noxus. With this staff and many others like it, I will lead us to glory!" Culda said. "But I can't do it alone."

He looked into her eyes as she moved her hand to his chin.

"I need someone to stand alongside me during my time in power. I need that someone to be a person who's always stood by me, helped me climb up here." She said taking his hand and covering it with her other. "I must ask you my love. Will you stand by me?"

Balgan inhaled sharply, his mouth firmly shut as he considered her words. He had a feeling he'd be on the floor with his next words.

"Culda. My sweet dear Culda." He said calmly. "When did you abandon reason for madness?"

She sighed with disappointment. "I had a feeling you'd be against this. Oh well, I had to try just to make sure."

The woman avoided Balgan's punch and delivered one to his gut. The man groaned loudly and clutched his stomach in pain as Culda got off the bed. She used her staff to launch silver chains at him and began to strangle the man.

"I offered you the chance of aiding me willingly. You could've restored your families honour and avenged the death of your father and your brother, both of who were killed by the works of Swain and his pets. Where were you when your family needed you the most?" She snapped. "You were cowering in the shadows like the weak man you are."

"My… guards will… learn of this!" He said strained.

Culda laughed for a second before stopping abruptly with a scowl.

"Your guards have turned their backs on you. They have been displeased with your insistence on hiding and are more than happy to help me, someone who's finally righting all the wrongs you took no action against." She said.

Balgan's eyes showed fear and betrayal. He'd been played right under his nose.

"Kill me. Kill me now and finish this."

"No my love. I will not kill you just yet. Your actions against me moments ago have intrigued me to allow you to live longer. You will witness a person's rise to power and how it's supposed to be handled. I will leave you here in this room, locked away with the window as your only source of light. Only then when I'm in power will I personally execute you. Give you the same death as your brother."

The man glared at her. "YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME. AFTER ALL THE THINGS I'VE DONE FOR YOU! YOU'RE THE ONLY COWARD HERE CULDA!"

She smiled and used her staff to throw Balgan harshly against the wall. He landed on the floor unconscious and she cackled. Culda exited the bedroom, placing a magical barrier around it to avoid his escape. Dozens of her guards, formerly his, were outside waiting.

"Minh." She said.

The Captain stepped forward in his heavy armor, arms at the side awaiting orders from his leader. "Milady?"

"Have your men ensure that this part of the mansion is seal off entirely with every possible lock. We can't have our guest snooping around to create some unpleasant situations while we get to work now can we?"

"Of course Madam." Minh said bowing before turning to his men. "You heard the lady, get to work!"

…

* * *

Riven was sitting hunched forward in the hospital room, her arms crossed with a glare while also being in her Crimson Elite uniform. Swain had chosen to promote her to Commander of a Noxian Elite squad. Riven didn't care for the promotion, she was furious that Culda's actions continued to go unpunished because of her influence on the populace. The authorities refused to cooperate with her and didn't believe her words when interrogating Riven. Swain was entirely unconcerned with the death of Jade. James kept his personal life rather quiet and out of the scene for the sole purpose of protecting his loved ones so Jades death was minor news and dismissed.

The girl believed that Swain giving her a promotion was an attempt to get her to talk to him. It proved to be futile with his lack of action against Culda.

Riven was watching over Maddoc who had lost a significant amount of blood the night before. His sudden movements from regaining consciousness had caused his wounds to seep out blood minutes later.

The doctors tried to revive Jade, but she'd been dead for hours and it was too late. Riven's hand was bandaged but she hardly felt anything. The anger and adrenaline in her body kept her nearly immune to physical pain, but not emotional pain. She felt more broken than ever.

"Commander?" A familiar voice asked.

The girl turned her head, seeing Leblanc had entered the room. She glared at the dark mage, hatred in her heart.

"What do you want?" Riven said bluntly.

"I want to… say how sorry I am for yo-"

The Deceiver didn't have time to finish speaking. Riven quickly grabbed her neck and violently slammed her against the wall causing some objects to fall off nearby. The staff outside heard this.

"You're sorry? YOU'RE sorry?" Riven said with a hint of mockery. "Sorry for what? The fact that you know that she killed him? Or the fact that you're too weak to take any action?"

Riven released her grip with Leblanc gasping for air. She glared at the girl. Leblanc used her magic to seal the door shut and casted golden chains around to trap Riven. She showed more strength, the chains barely holding her in place.

"Your frustration is understandable. We know you told us Culda killed the Commander, that she came to his house last night and killed his lover along with wounding you and the boy."

"Yes... AND YOU DO NOTHING!" Riven spat back.

Leblanc flinched as some spit landed on her face. Her mouth twitched with annoyance.

"We do not know for certain if she did those actions. She could've said that to get you riled up. The part with the lover of the Commander is a mixed bag but there is no proof she did it. Not yet. Your emotional state is clouding your judgement."

"No proof? I was there! Maddoc was there! These wounds aren't enough?!" Riven said pointing to the wounded boy. She soon sighed. "Maybe if we had a Grand General who actually took action against such crimes, my mind wouldn't be so clouded in the first place."

"You think we can just flat out say that she killed Holland? That she murdered his lover? This isn't just something we can fix with a few words. Her supporters would never believe such claims without proof and Swain accusing her of it would guarantee her position. You don't want that do you?"

Riven hesitantly nodded but still scowled.

"You're a Commander of the Crimson Elite. Act like it!" Leblanc ordered.

The girl growled, but nodded again. A sigh came from The Deceiver, looking away from the white haired girl to think about her next words.

"Swain wishes to see you."

"Does he now?"

"Yes. You are his most recent Commander after all."

Riven chuckled in a very sarcastic and forced way. "Tell him the only way I will see him is if he's willing to talk about James and how Culda was involved with his death. Otherwise he can demote me back to my previous position. I will not be the Commander under someone like him."

Another long inhale and exhale sounded from Leblanc. She bit her lip and answered Riven.

"Alright. Maybe I could convince him to talk to you about it…" Leblanc said. "… not sure for how long but-"

"Good. All I need is a minute with him." Riven said slinging her large blade over her shoulder. She turned to Maddoc, observing his body. The girl went to the boy, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back Maddoc. I promise."

She turned to Leblanc who stood with her staff, not saying anything about the obvious relationship between the two. Riven walked past her, intentionally bumping her on the shoulder with hers as she walked out of the building, The Deceiver following.

…

* * *

The Chain Wardens haunting laugh echoed through the dark hallways. Inside his office, Thresh was laughing hysterically at the explanation Elise had told him. James sat with a straight posture, his hands on his legs quietly humming to himself to block out the wardens laugh. Evelynn loved every moment of the laugh, way more haunting than hers or Elise's'. The Spider Queen had her arms folded with an irritated look.

"So The Black Rose which apparently is a far better organisation than the Shadow Isles is under attack by a mortal being? She got the better of you?" Thresh said mockingly.

Elise didn't look at him but nodded.

"Hysterical." Thresh said leaning over to his left, resting his head on his hand which showed more disinterest. "Now you're here in Ionia to hunt down this… Roland Germez? Not to mention you haven't killed this one yet." He said gesturing to James. "Afraid he'll be too spicy for Vilemaw?"

Evelynn's admiration for The Warden disappeared in a flash. She leaped onto the table in front of him, crouching like a predator as she cupped his skull at the bottom.

"He is nobodies snack, only mine."

Thresh blinked with amusement.

"Ah Evelynn, I've seen your work. It never fails to impress me, though it could slow down a little. The delightful agony you could inflict." Thresh said chuckling. Evelynn slightly smiled. "But that doesn't matter. You seem to be feeling for this man." The Wardens tone changed.

The Agony's Embrace's smile faded. She scratched Thresh across the chest, but it didn't tear through his coat.

"Evelynn!" Elise shouted angrily.

"Relax, I can't feel any pain. Guess that's why she isn't interested in me and is smitten with him." Thresh said.

Evelynn spat at Thresh who only laughed sinisterly. She sat back down on the chair pouting with her arms crossed. Elise was annoyed with her but she had to focus on the importance of this visit.

"Thresh, we need your help." She said. "Have you, or do you know where we could find this man? Let alone even know if he's in this area?"

The Warden grunted in response. He leaned back further, arms behind his flaming head. Finally he spoke.

"Well… I have been picking up… certain souls from a location. High up in the mountains of this village. Every Wednesday night at 11:30pm, I see a lone carriage head in that direction. It returns a few hours later, going back to its destination. Afterwards, up in that location, I see flashes of purple and dark spheres being hurtled around. Eventually it ends and a soul comes floating down. I always take them in my lantern." Thresh explained lifting up his lantern at the end.

Elise, Evelynn, and even James leaned closer upon hearing this.

"Today's Wednesday." The man mumbled to himself. Elise and Evelynn nodded.

"This man was originally from Noxus? A former Commander?" Thresh asked.

"Yes." James spoke finally.

"Does he have Red hair?"

James's eyes lit up with rare excitement. "Yes!"

"Hmm. A Noxian would not be welcome in this territory. He would need some help from the outside, or have connections inside." Thresh continued. "Perhaps he even made a pact."

Suddenly Elise caught onto something. "Thresh. These souls you collect. Are they elders?"

He grunted as an answer while he took a sip from his lantern.

"Oh no." Elise said leaning back.

"What is it?" James asked.

"The location up there, it's a floating temple that is being held aloft by a dark mage with immense power. She was sent by the elders of her village due to them being terrified of her strength. It once served as a training ground for her, but she learned that her master was intentionally holding her back. She killed him and lifted the temple into the air with her magic. There, she trains day and night to reach the full potential of her powers which she will one day unleash upon those who locked her away." Elise said.

James had heard of this mage. "The Dark Sovereign."

Elise nodded without looking. Evelynn had also heard of her, but never imagined she'd be in this situation.

"He must be bringing her an elder each week in exchange for something, but just what is unknown." James said.

"Gold, weapons, anything that he could use in this territory for his own gain!" Thresh exclaimed with glee.

"You said weapons?" James asked. "Even if it's only a suggestion, is it possible?"

The Chain Warden merely shrugged. "Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn't. I do not care for the situation. I collect souls, that is it."

James huffed at this. "I've heard enough." He said getting up. "We have our target and will make him talk one way or another."

The angered man quickly walked out of the room and down the hallway.

"Wait! James!" Evelynn said going after him.

Elise watched the demon exit the room leaving only her and Thresh. The Warden titled his head with a raised brow. Elise cleared her throat.

"It's amazing how quickly a person's perspective such as hers or yours can change if they allow a mortal such as him to live longer than usual." Thresh said with a chuckle.

The Spider Queen tilted her head staring murderously at The Chain Warden who folded his hands and returned a less deadly glare to her. Her nose twitched with annoyance.

"Don't think he's having the same effect on me." Elise snapped. "She merely begged me to teleport her to him. I have no knowledge that it would lead to this and I'm just as surprised as you are."

Thresh chuckled again and stood up with his hands spread out across the table, leaning closer to Elise.

"Perhaps you may not be feeling the same thing for him that he does, but maybe it's something different?" He asked. Elise rose a brow. "Yes, yes, it's perhaps jealously?"

The Spider Queen scoffed with disbelief.

"Has she not satiated you intimately or made any suggestive advances like she always does?" Thresh said with an amused grin forming. "Ever since she met this man, have you noticed that?"

Elise's face became red like a tomato with her arms crossed. Thresh cackled at this and fell back into his chair clutching his stomach.

"Remember who you are talking to Warden." Elise said with dark flames appearing in her hands.

Thresh wiped away a presumed tear and sat up straight. "Calm yourself Elise I'm merely teasing. It's not like you even miss her frequent advancements. Or do you?"

Scoffing again, Elise put her hands on the table. "It's ironic how you are talking to me about my relations when you're the one dating a succubus."

The Wardens fists clenched as he slammed them on the table. "You will NOT speak that way about Ahri."

"Hmm, funny I didn't even say her name and you already know who I'm referring to. Perhaps her slight feelings of humanity are rubbing onto you?" Elise snickered.

Thresh raised his hand to speak, but it was interrupted.

"Thresh! Thresh!" A voice squealed. Elise turned to see Ahri merrily skipping in with a large cup. "We're late for our trip to Margaritavill-!" She stopped abruptly at the sight of Elise. "Ugh she's still here.

Elise turned back to see Thresh now had his face buried in his hands. She cackled at this and stood up.

"Be there in a minute Ahri…" He said with a droning voice.

"Thanks for the information Warden. Hopefully I won't have to come back here anytime soon, I'd hate to interrupt your sessions."

The Spider Queen went out of the office and down the hallway.

…

* * *

"James! Love! Slow down!" Evelynn said following the man out of the bar back into the bright sunshine. Their eyes were assaulted by the change in light from the dark dungeons and took a few moments to adjust.

"What is it?"

"You seem to be a bit upset."

"Why should you care?" He asked. "You have no ethics or morals right?"

She was taken aback by his words, a little hurt and offended. "I'm… just trying to help."

He scoffed. "You wanna help me? Respect my boundaries."

James put some space between Evelynn and himself. Leaning against the wall, he took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up. James inhaled the contents as Evelynn looked around, observing the people.

So many happy people, and she didn't feel the urge to hurt them.

"That wasn't a very civilized meeting in some parts, Evelynn." Elise's voice said coming out of the building. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what? Defend James from that skank? I have my reasons." Evelynn giggled.

"You know DAMN well what I'm talking about." Elise said violently pushing the woman into a pillar and pinning her. Evelynn's lashers slightly came out in the event she had to use them accordingly. "You attacked Thresh. You scratched him. Why? I thought you admired him and his work."

Evelynn looked over to James who wasn't paying any attention to the two women. Elise followed her gaze and sighed with frustration.

"Think about what you're doing Evelynn. You are letting this man who has no interest in you toy with your emotions and actions."

"So what if I like him? It's not like I'll actually fall in love with him."

"That's not what I'm saying." Elise said with a sigh. "Have you noticed anything different about yourself lately? You haven't turned anything into an innuendo nor have you been flirting with well… anyone. You've only been doing it with him!"

The Agony's Embrace pouted at The Spider Queen, but soon grinned.

"Ohhh I see what's going on here. You're jealous!" She giggled. "I can fix that."

Elise's further words were cut off when Evelynn kissed her. The sweet taste of the succubus spreading through her body and making The Spider Queen want more. She wrapped her arms around Evelynn, their tongues wrestling and fangs occasionally biting. James heard the moans and turned to see his two "allies" making out. Evelynn opened one eye to see the man making an exasperated tone and ended the kiss. Elise turned to him too, a smirk creeping up on her face.

"Need some privacy?" James said sarcastically before flicking the cigarette away.

The Spider Queen figured planning with their newfound information was more important. She and Evelynn could have their privacy later.

The Agony's Embrace wouldn't follow through with it this time.

"Let us return back to the mansion. We have to rest." Elise said.

...

* * *

James and Evelynn followed Elise, the man wrapping his arm around Evelynn's waist and bringing her closer. She slightly rested her hand on the side of his chest, smiling at the comforting feeling. She pouted when they had to part ways when they reached the mansion and entered inside.

"This just got a lot more complicated." Elise said taking a bottle of wine out of a cabinet.

"Complicated?" James asked. "How so? Because he happens to be in a pact with a mage?"

"This is no ordinary mage Commander Holland." She snapped. "This is The Dark Sovereign. She has three dark spheres that are with her each second, under her command. They can kill an ill-equipped man with the right blow. She is merciless and will cut down anyone she believes is trying to hold her back."

"Sounds like you're saying we'll have to take both Germez and her down. I thought you'd stop him on his way there."

"We will." Elise said with annoyance. "But I cannot imagine someone with a temper like this mage will enjoy being kept waiting. If he doesn't show up, she may descend down to search for him."

"You say she _may_ descend. It doesn't necessarily mean she will actually do it."

"It's dangerous love. Me and Elise have been doing this for a long, long time. We've rarely been in this situation. It can be done if handled correctly, but we cannot allow you to join us." Evelynn said.

He blinked a few times **"What are you saying?" **He asked with a monotone voice.

Elise poured herself a glass and offered some to her colleagues. They both took one, but James's question was unanswered.

"We are saying you should stay out of this. We cannot risk you possibly becoming deceased for real."

James's glass shattered in his hand a few moments later. Some wine splashed in his face but he was unfazed. Elise and Evelynn's eyes widened at this. James said nothing and the bandana covering his mouth made it difficult to see his entire expression. His hand was bleeding but he didn't feel anything. Silence happened in the kitchen. The Spider Queen and The Agony's Embrace felt a shiver down their spines. James breathed deeply.

"Okay." He said calmly.

The man stood up and walked out of the room. The two women said nothing for about ten seconds after he left.

"That… was hot." Evelynn said with admiration.

"I take it that's the attitude he gave to someone in the hallway?" Elise mumbled quietly.

"Yep!" Evelynn giggled.

"Hmm. Well anyway, we should get ready for tonight. It's going to be a bit more complicated."

However, The Spider Queen's hand was immediately grabbed by an armored hand. She was forced around, seeing James in his full suit of armor, the glare through his red visor. Her mouth was agape and her eyes widened with slightly fear, but she glared back. Evelynn was enjoying this.

"Stay out of this? Stay. Out. Of. This?" He said quietly.

"Y-Yes." Elise stammered.

A forced chuckle came from James as he slightly pushed Elise to get off her. He paced around the table. "I know, I know you two ladies think I'm not suited, or equipped to engage in such a task. The Dark Sovereign is powerful; this I know to be true. I can see that you'd think I'd be afraid to possibly make an enemy out of her since you two are certainly thinking that."

Elise crossed her arms and Evelynn leaned forward with interest, clearly taking great joy in this. She loved this side of James.

"I am nervous that it could happen, but I am far more nervous of what is stirring in Noxus. A deceitful mage, a loner her whole life and a complete bitch, is making great progress on becoming The Grand General of Noxus. I do not know for certain what she will do to make the empire strive even greater, but I do know it will make The Dark Sovereign's actions seem like child's play. If we don't take out Germez, or talk to him as an alternative, we will have bigger problems to worry about than the chance of making The Dark Sovereign our enemy."

James kneeled down slightly beside Elise, looking into her eyes without the glare. It gave her a strange feeling of relief.

"Given the situation, I think you'll be needing all the help you can get."

The Spider Queen's mouth twitched with mirth. She put a hand on James's shoulders. "Perhaps I misjudged you Commander. You are not what I expected." He gave a nod of gratitude. "We will instill fear into Culda Graves, and you're going to help us."

"Yesss." James said with a clenched fist.

The man felt a lasher caress the side of his helmet. He groaned and turned with the expectation of Evelynn trying to kiss him. She didn't, but was back in her usual form.

"Here." She said.

James looked down and his eyes widened with shock. In her hands was his rifle. He met her eyes again before looking down. Evelynn smiled as he took it, his hands moving to the right spots. The man smiled as he felt his weapon again, getting a feeling for the gun and familiarising himself with it.

"Thank you. Evelynn." He said with a sincere tone.

She giggled and merely nodded. James activated the bayonet on his rifle, the sudden appearance making Evelynn gasp and giggle again with shock. Elise rose a brow with amusement as she snapped her fingers, turning back into her Queen appearance.

"We will make our move tonight. Prepare yourselves for it."

James nodded and left the two women again. He went to his presumed quarters, the bedroom Evelynn had him bounded in before. The man sat down, placing his rifle against the bed as he stared ahead.

"Maybe this alliance won't be so shaky after all." He said to himself.

…

* * *

"It's worse than I imagined." Elise said swirling the wine glass with her fingers. "You are in love with him."

Evelynn said nothing. Elise downed the rest of her drink, clearing her throat afterwards.

"You suggested he shouldn't go out when you know what he's capable of in combat. He can clearly look after himself. I could see it in your eyes when he said he'd tag along. The fear they were showing when you came across the thought of him being pelted to death by black spheres. I did what I could, but it was his choice."

"It's not the fear of him dying." Evelynn said. "It's the fear of what he'll see."

"Oh? Are you afraid he will vomit when he witnesses you tear a heart straight from the ribcage? Are you afraid he won't want to look at you anymore when you devour the man's cock?" Elise said with mockery in her voice.

Nothing was said.

"Alright, perhaps I've been a bit harsh. I will leave you to yourself for now Evelynn. You need time."

The Spider Queen stood up, leaving the kitchen and leaving Evelynn alone.

_"I've done this thousands of times. Why now? Why am I afraid of doing it? Why do I care what James will think of me? Why am I falling in love with him?"_

The woman took a sip from her drink, but some of the red wine accidentally spilled out.

"Shit." She whispered.

Evelynn wiped some of the wine off her mouth. When doing this, she looked at her clawed hands. The liquid had stained them, giving the familiar look of blood. She looked into a nearby mirror, seeing her mouth had wine splattered on it too. Seemed like she'd just eaten a mans beating heart.

The woman clenched her fist in anger and threw the glass into the mirror with a shatter.


	10. The Exile

"I take it you haven't chosen to finally speak to me for the purpose of military strategies?" Swain asked without turning around.

"You know Goddamn well that's not why I'm here." Riven snapped.

The Grand General merely chuckled. He fed a few crumbs to his bird Beatrice before turning to Riven. His demonic hand remained hidden inside the black coat with the other stroking some long white hair out of his way.

"Yes, yes Riven we know. Evaine informed me that you were attacked by Culda and they apparently um, violated the partner of the late Commander Holland?"

Riven picked up a hint of sarcasm in the man's voice. She brought her blade out and angrily slammed it into the table causing it to break in two down the centre. Swain's eyes tensed up with his demonic hand coming out.

"Stop treating this like it's some kind of joke." Riven said coldly. "You are talking about the death of someone who was very close to me and James. Don't you have any respect for her. Don't you respect him?"

Swain glared at the girl. "Respect? Respect?" He quickly walked over to Riven who stood her ground. He was just an inch from her face with his eyes glowing red. "James Holland was one of my most decorated Commanders. I had, and still do, have the utmost respect for him and losing him was one of the hardest events I've endured during my reign as The Grand General of Noxus. Do not think, _Riven_, that you are the only one here who cared for him."

The man walked back to his original spot as Riven took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about the death of his partner, but I didn't know her personally. Me and him didn't have that relationship where we could go out drinking and share personal information about our love life." Swain continued. "I have a job to do. I cannot let personal quarrels interfere with it."

Riven had to agree with those points.

"This business with the personal death is not something we can look into now. Culda has gained too much support and the accusation would guarantee her victory." Swain said. "But you know that I did not call you here for that reason, we have to look to the ongoing Invasion of Ionia."

The General gestured Riven to him which she did. He placed a map on the half of the broken table to explain his plan. She listened.

…

* * *

Evelynn walked through the hallways to her quarters. She tried to forget about what she was feeling for James, but it wasn't easy. Why was she afraid of what would happen tonight?

"_I've done it thousands of times! Flaying them head to toe with no fear of what the audience would say. Now I'm nervous because… of him?"_Evelynn's mind said.

The thinking was interrupted by a merry whistle. A man's voice was heard singing from the room James occupied. Evelynn was drawn to it by his voice. She briefly peeked in.

"_Let the high heavens your songs invite,_

_These spacious fields of brilliant light"_

James was sitting on the bed with the top of his helmet off. He was doing something with the visor, seemingly adjusting it.

"_Where sun and moon and planets roll,_

_And stars that glow from pole to pole."_

His voice was mesmerising to her. Evelynn felt the need to go into the bedroom and sit by him for hours as he sang until she fell asleep resting on his shoulder.

"_Evelynn?"_

She said nothing as she kept day dreaming.

"_Evelynn? Hello in there?"_

It took a moment for Evelynn to come back to reality. She was standing in the doorway, or leaning that is, with James on his feet and looking at her.

Realizing her position, Evelynn scrambled to get out, but she stumbled back and almost fell out. James grabbed her hand and pulled her up before falling completely. She accidentally went into his chest, resting against the armor before getting out. The woman put some distance between her and the man.

"What're you doing in here?"

"Um, I heard you whistling and singing. It caught my attention. Got me interested." Evelynn said sheepishly. _"Why am I so fucking shy right now?"_

James merely rose a brow and chuckled. "Earlier you tried to jump me in the shower because of my whistle. Are you intending to try that again?"

Evelynn was almost hurt by this, but James winked at her. She caught onto his sarcasm. They laughed a bit.

"You're certainly more cheerful compared to earlier Commander."

"I suppose the new information we heard from… that thing earlier lightened up my spirits. You giving me back my weapon sealed the deal."

Seeing James happy made the succubus feel happy in a way. Why did it? Last night he was forced to fuck her and clearly didn't like her, but now he seemed to be treating her like another… person.

"Well I'm glad you're in better spirits James. Tonight won't be very pleasant."

Evelynn saw what she assumed was a grin forming under the mouthpiece of his mask. "James? Did you call me James?"

She looked away with her arms crossed. "So what if I did? I know your name after all so why can't I call you that?"

"Because so far I believe you've only called me by that in an intentionally seductive way. But you sounded sincere for a moment there." James said. "Perhaps the fox's words were correct, you were jealous for a moment."

Evelynn's eyes lit up with her head tilting back. She scowled at the presumed grinning man. James began to laugh hysterically at the words.

"_So much joy! How can he feel this way when earlier he was incredibly pissed off?!"_

The woman's mouth began to form a smile as James's infectious laugh kept sounding. Soon she joined in with his laughter, both of them crying tears from doing it too hard.

Elise heard this and peeked in. She rolled her eyes with pitifulness at her friends constantly growing for this man. It would spiral out of her control soon and there was nothing The Spider Queen could do to stop it.

Not that she was against it either.

…

* * *

Swain had finished explaining to Riven his plan for her. With her being a new commander of the Crimson Elite, the girl would, similar to James, teleport into Ionian territory with a squad of Elite soldiers. However, they would not be teleporting back to Noxus. This wasn't an exfiltration mission like the map, this was an offensive against the Ionians. A platoon of 150 Noxian soldiers were in a bloody and desperate engagement with Ionians for control of a strategic village. The Captain had been killed. Riven and her unit would teleport in with her taking command of the unit and seizing the village. She hesitantly agreed to his decision. The main reason is to unleash the anger inside her that had been planted by Culda.

"Riven, I will not lie to you. This isn't a war with Ionia, it's an extermination."

She nodded without looking.

"You are one of our best soldiers out there. You've always carried out the orders of your superiors, terminating the remnants of a beaten and fractured enemy with extreme prejudice. I know that you're troubled, but for now that must be set aside." Swain kept on.

"Thank you, I suppose." Riven said without looking.

Swain sighed and put his demonic hand on her armoured shoulder. She barely looked over.

"When you return, you have my word we will look into the events of last night, and bring Culda to justice."

Taking in a long breath, Riven exhaled with a motion that she accepted Swain's proposal.

"You'll be deploying there in twenty minutes." Swain said.

Riven blinked at him, anger in her eyes again. "Excuse me?"

"Yes twenty minutes. Is there a problem?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak about her not being able to properly say goodbye to Maddoc, but knew Swain would ignore it. She shook her head and looked away.

"Now that that's out of the way, you shall meet your new unit. They're just down the ha-"

"Bring them here." Riven said.

"What?"

"You heard me. I said bring them here. I do not care for introductions. That's something James always did. I don't want to be reminded."

The General sighed and agreed. He gestured to Leblanc who had been silent during the meeting to retrieve the soldiers. Riven observed her blade.

Three soldiers entered into the room with Leblanc stepping to the side. They were all dressed in Crimson Elite Uniforms, one woman and two men. Riven, clearly uninterested, asked them for their names.

"Private Holly Corbin!" The woman said.

"Private Gary Bishop!"

"Private Ben Reid!"

"Good. Collect you're gear. We deploy in five." Riven said turning away.

Swain was about to say something, but figured he should let it slide. It was best not to piss of Riven more than he already unintentionally had.

…

* * *

Sounds of combat were heard in the once peaceful Ionian village. The Ionians had entrenched themselves up in the higher parts of the location, raining down an endless barrage of arrows to the pinned Noxian soldiers. Corpses littered the ground, each one having more than one arrow in them or were sliced down brutally.

"Goddammit where are those reinforcements?!" A soldier said. "We can't hold out much longer!"

An archer peeked out to take aim. He shot an Ionian, but was cut down by the return fire of the planted turrets.

Suddenly in one of the buildings, a portal appeared. The Crimson Elites jumped out with Riven leading the charge with her blade. Reid was armed with an axe and shield while Corbin and Bishop both have bows. Riven snuck up behind the Ionians manning the turret, letting out a battle cry as she cut them down with a single swing of her blade. Her uniform was bloody within seconds, her comrades watching with admiration and slight fear.

"Corbin!" She said pointing to the woman. "Get on that turret and throw some hell down there! Bishop watch her back! Reid, with me!"

The two archers obeyed her, Corbin manning the turret and turning the Ionian's weapon against them. Bishop began to shoot down Ionian archers, avoiding the return fire. Riven and Reid positioned themselves upon a heavily entrenched group of Ionians who had the Noxians pinned. She gestured to him and he nodded. They both leaped down with their weapons raised above their heads, battle cries sounding.

The Noxian soldiers could hear clashes and blood splattering from the area. They took it as their hint that help had arrived and they wasted no time. They used their shields as cover to avoid the now lessened barrage of arrows. Arriving at the spot, they saw that the whole unit of Ionians had been slaughtered. Two figures nearly coated in crimson red were there, panting heavily.

"Nice work there Private." Riven said with acknowledgement.

"Uh, t-thank you Commander." Reid replied.

She noticed the large number of Noxian soldiers looking at them. She went to the one in front unsure of who was leading this platoon.

"How many of you are there?"

"More than 80, less than 100." The soldier replied.

"Shit." Riven said. "Okay, let's not falter. We have to secure this village. How big is it?"

"It's not huge, but not small either. We have this region secured which is about half of it. The Ionians are heavily entrenched up in the higher parts of the land. They have us outnumbered."

"Heads up, we got more coming in from the east!" Bishop shouted above.

Riven looked to see a large number of Ionians charging to their location. She slightly smirked at this.

"Guess they're coming to us." She turned to the platoon. "Follow my lead and stay behind. Use your shields to cover yourselves until we're close enough to engage."

They nodded at her command. Riven clutched her blade and gestured to Reid. He ran ahead with Riven right behind him. They noticed the Ionians firing arrows at them and Reid stopped. He planted his shield onto the ground with the Noxians doing the same. The ones behind used their shields to block the barrage from above. The Ionians kept charging and Riven jumped over Reid, striking down three Ionians in a single swing.

The Noxian soldiers broke their defensive position, ramming into the Ionians with their blades and spears. Corbin adjusted the turrets height and fired into the backline of Ionians, cutting down many of the soldiers before it ran out of ammo. Following Bishop, they provided covering fire atop the balconies of different buildings.

Riven was charged by an Ionian, but she stabbed through them easily with her blade before they could get close. Yanking it out, she ducked to avoid another strike and decapitated the Ionian soldier. Reid blocked another slash with his shield and slammed his axe into the Ionians head. He reeled it back with a growl and engaged another soldier. The Noxian's were fairing well against the Ionians in close combat with them doing a better job at cutting them down. Bishop and Corbin kept shooting down numerous Ionians with little worry of the return fire.

In a few minutes the Ionian's were retreating from the Noxian force. They'd lost a significant number of soldiers while the Noxians barely lost any.

"We got them on the run let's go!" Riven commanded.

The remainder of the platoon followed the two Crimson Elites as they took charge. Bishop and Corbin eventually rejoined them up front as they kept advancing. The unit chased the Ionians into a courtyard where a great hall could be seen entrenched into the area. The archers finally were able to shoot down the last of the Ionians. Riven realized that they'd reached the end of the village.

"Hey, I think we did it!" Reid said with a cheerful attitude.

Riven scoffed in disbelief, but realised that it seemed like they did secure the village. Her mouth twitched with mirth at the situation.

Then her smile quickly went away to an agape mouth. Up in the cliffs above the village, numerous Ionian soldiers could be seen. Most had melee weapons, but a good amount had bows. She looked all around in the other directions to see more Ionian soldiers appearing.

They were surrounded.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." She mumbled to herself.

"Commander? What do we do?" Corbin asked.

"Uh, we uh…"

"We're surrounded!" A soldier exclaimed fearfully.

"Stow it soldier! You're a member of the Noxian army so act like it!" Reid said speaking for Riven.

Riven saw the Ionians begin to descend upon them from all directions. They were severely outnumbered and the chances of victory seemed slim. Still, she didn't give up.

"Corbin!" She said. "Get to shelter and call for backup! Bishop, round up all the archers and hold the Ionians off from afar as long as possible, Corbin will join you after! Reid, you, me, and the other soldiers will form up and meet them at the single street we came up from. We'll be able to hold them back until help arrives!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Everyone replied.

Corbin went into a house with a lone soldier watching her back. Bishop gathered up the archers and they took position on the balcony's of the buildings. They immediately began to rain down fire on the advancing enemy, but the Ionians fired backed taking down a few Noxians, but far lesser.

On the street, Riven was in front of the platoon of fighters, their spears in front with shields forming a wall. The Ionians were charging them.

"Here they come!" Reid said priming his shield and axe.

"Hold them!" Riven ordered.

With the Ionians charging them, the Noxians braced for the impact. A crash sounded when the force crashed into the shields. The Ionians tried to stab through the wall of shields, but the Noxians kept a firm grip.

"NOW!" Riven shouted.

The Noxian soldiers pushed the Ionians off and started to stab them with the spears again. This time the Ionians fought back with more ferocity, cutting down the outnumbered Noxians. A bloody and desperate battle ensued in the street, bodies quickly piling up from both parties. Riven threw herself into a group of 10 Ionians, sweeping her blade in a circle that cut down the whole group. Reid followed her lead, both of them fighting back to back as they fought for survival. Blades clanked and blood splattered everywhere.

"No retreat! No surrender! No defeat!" Riven shouted.

"Come on! Don't let them up!" Bishop shouted as he, Corbin, and the archers shot down the never ending horde of Ionians, trying to prevent them from entering the village and flanking their comrades below.

"Grappling hooks!" Corbin alerted.

Numerous hooks were thrown up on the edges of the building. The Noxians attempted to knock them off, but a couple stragglers survived. A few archers took out small daggers to combat the new arrivals. Both sides took losses as more hooks were caught on.

"Get out of our village Ionian bastards! Come on, knock them down!" Bishop said.

Soon more than half of the archers were engaged in hand to hand combat with Ionians. Bishop took an arrow from his holster and stabbed an Ionian in the face with it. Corbin did the same, but another soldier flanked her and tried to cut her down. She blocked it with her bow with it breaking and she delivered a punch to their abdomen. Stealing their sword, she stabbed the Ionian and let out a battle cry.

Bishop looked around seeing that the Ionians were gaining an advantage over the dwindling Noxians. He realized they couldn't hold the position for long.

"Fall back, to the centre! Regroup!" He ordered.

Corbin and the surviving Noxians heeded his word. However, Corbin soon became wide eyed.

"WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU!"

Bishop turned around to see an Ionian lunging at him. The Crimson Elite brought out his dagger, but he was too late. The Ionian stabbed through him with the spear, impaling him. Blood spurting from his mouth as the Ionian let out a battle cry. Corbin and the others were shocked.

The man coughed some blood into his assailants' eye.

"I'm ready! How 'bout you?!"

With the remaining strength he had, Bishop sent the dagger into the Ionians throat. The soldier soon fell over the building onto the ground with Bishop falling with him. Corbin peeked over to see his body. The combined fall with the impaled spear had done it's effect.

He was dead.

Corbin was enraged by this and tightly gripped her sword. She joined the retreating Noxians who were engaging the Ionians who slipped past them.

The street was a blood bath now. Riven and Reid still fought back to back, but the Ionians kept coming and coming. The platoon of Noxians had been depleted significantly and couldn't keep up with the never ending Ionian army. The battle was looking grim for Riven and what was left of her unit.

"Commander! We can't hold them off forever, we need to fallback!" A Noxian shouted.

"Hold them off, just hold them off!" Riven replied. "Our support will be here soon!"

"He's right Commander! We're about to be overrun if we don't regroup with the others!" Reid said.

Riven knew deep down that they were vastly outnumbered and if she didn't retreat, her arrogance would get them killed.

"Alright! Fallback! Regroup with Corbin and Bishop! Make for the great hall!"

Reid nodded and ordered the surviving members of the platoon to retreat. She killed another Ionian who was advancing on her before joining the others. More Ionians soon pursued them. Regrouping with what was left of both parties, Riven, Reid, and Corbin came together.

"What? Where's Bishop?" Riven asked.

Corbin grimaced. "He's uh, he's d-dead."

Riven and Reid were surprised by this. She'd never lost a fellow Crimson Elite soldier on the battlefield apart from James. She wanted to grieve, but the present situation made that an afterthought. The Ionians had them surrounded and the remaining members of the platoon took up a defensive position outside of the great hall. Riven gripped her blade tightly, Reid doing the same with his axe and shield, and Corbin preparing her daggers.

"FIGHT! FIGHT TO THE LAST MAN! FIGHT FOR YOUR LIVES!" Riven shouted.

Just as she was prepared to fight to the death, a whistling could be heard. Everyone heard this and stopped. Riven looked up with a slight smile forming. It must've been the reinforcements.

Her smile disappeared upon closer inspection. It wasn't reinforcements, no extra soldiers to aid them. It was an object, green with gases slightly leaking from it. She could see a few more coming too.

It was a barrage of chemicals.

Riven's eyes widened with fear and she turned to her unit. She couldn't speak, no words coming out.

"TAKE COVER!" She shouted.

The warning wasn't enough when the barrage landed and unleashed its cargo. Green chemicals poured out immediately, coating the area in a green mist. Riven covered her mouth and gestured the others to do the same.

She watched with horror as Reid and Corbin began to cough violently, coughing up blood as they fell to the ground. The Noxians and Ionians soon did the same as they inhaled the biochemical. Riven looked around, seeing the soldiers dying in slow agonizing deaths. She couldn't save her fellow Crimson Elite members. Reid, through his state of death, mouthed to her **"Run!"**.

With tears in her eyes, Riven sprinted as fast as she could to escape the barrage of chemicals. She kept her mouth and nose covered ensuring she'd never inhale the fumes. Her blade was dragged lazily along the ground as she ran. The girl passed by more dying Ionians as she kept running.

Finally, she reached a Cliffside. Riven looked back at the village, seeing the chemicals slowly advancing on her position. With a deep breath, she jumped off and dove into the water, narrowly but effectively escaping the chemical attack.

…

* * *

Water splashed up against the rocks on the Ionian shore. The sky was cloudy and was getting darker by the minute.

A torn gloved hand came out of the water and grabbed onto a rock. A woman pulled herself out of the water with a groan, her uniform all bloody and torn.

Riven gasped for air as she got out of the water, stumbling a few feet before falling to her knees. The swim from the chemical bombardment site had drained her energy and she needed to catch her breath. Her white hair was soaked and she took deep breaths.

"Reid… Bishop… Corbin… James… Maddoc…" She whimpered.

The girl curled herself into a fetal position, soon weeping at the horrors she endured during the battle. She was a tough woman, but seeing her fellow soldiers meeting a gruesome fate and knowing she couldn't do anything about it made her feel broken.

"I can't believe they did that. I can't believe they would launch a chemical attack on their own soldiers. On The Crimson Elite." She said to herself.

Riven eventually regained her strength. She dragged her blade along as she limped off the beach. Her helmet had come off during the dive and her wounds weren't lethal, but they still hurt. She eventually found a little cave, choosing to take shelter there. She tore off pieces of her uniform to use as makeshift bandages.

The memories of the battle flashed in her mind. The brutal killings and the chemical barrage. Riven wasn't sure if she could erase that memory. She could return to Noxus and confront the leadership about this decision. After all she was a poster child of the empire.

Or was she?

Riven looked at her hands. They were stained with the blood of Ionians who she killed without hesitation or the slight feeling of guilt.

"My hands are stained." She said to herself.

Soon, the girl glared ahead as she came to a conclusion. The Noxus she had grown up with wasn't there anymore. The actions they'd chosen had shattered her faith in the homeland she grew up in and had the utmost respect for.

All this pointless killing and conflict. Was it worth the lives of her fellow soldiers? The lack of respect for the dead? The lack of respect for James Holland and the justice agaist Culda? Riven's only reason to return to Noxus was to see Maddoc, but she wondered what would happen if she did. What if Culda had taken over as Grand General? Could she risk her life and her newfound lovers?

"No. Maddoc deserves better." Riven said to herself. "He'd never love a deserter like me."

The girl looked at her blade, soon glaring.

"I… will break you." She said with clenched teeth.

Looking at the rock, Riven gripped her blade. She reeled it back and with a cry, smashed it onto the hard object. The blade didn't break. Frustrated, she did it again. The weapon remained unbroken. On her third attempt, Riven let out a louder yell and brought it down with all her strength.

The blade was broken.

She'd severed all her ties with the empire. Surprisingly, Riven felt a great weight lift off her back. She slightly smiled at this.

Riven looked to her shoulder, seeing a Noxian symbol on it. Glaring at it, she ripped it off and threw it to the ground. She spat at it.

"I am not lost. With this new beginning, I will seek atonement and find a way to save the pure Noxian vision. Or maybe… I'll just forget about the past. Erase all memories. Live here in the land I've spilled too much blood on."

Slumping her now broken blade over her shoulder, Riven set off into Ionia. She wondered what would happen next.

She was an Exile now.

...

* * *

James was alone on his bedroom again, merrily whistling as he was almost done adjusting his helmet.

Suddenly, he felt something disturb him inside. Like a shockwave emitted from afar and just reached him. He felt like he just lost an important connection to his life back in Noxus. It felt like a part of him just slipped away. A piece of his heart torn out and never to be placed back in.

His whistling stopped and he soon began to scowl. He wasn't sure was disturbed him, but it wasn't just a feeling. It was something real.


	11. Hunting

The new feeling that hit James wasn't going away anytime soon. It made him feel irritated and a little angry. He wasn't sure what it was, but he kept it to himself. Elise told him the possible actions he may have to do and how they may not cope with his morals. James insisted he could handle it. This made Evelynn feel less nervous.

…

* * *

Riven wandered aimlessly through the land of Ionia for hours. She admired the beautiful structures and the forests. The Exile wondered how she could've possibly gone through with tearing this whole place down for the Noxian Invasion. She still feared the land would be decimated by her former allies. She realised that her torn Crimson Elite uniform was truly the last reminder that she was pure Noxian. Riven needed to change her outfit.

The Exile came upon a small house in the woods. It was surrounded by trees and seemed to be abandoned. She'd have to make some kind of deal with the individual inside. Walking to the house, Riven knocked on the door.

"Whoa."

The door creaked open upon her fist contacting it. The interior of the house was beautiful, but there was nobody to be seen. Riven cautiously moved in, her broken blade armed as a precaution.

"Hello? Anybody home?" She asked. "I just need a place to stay for now."

Not receiving an answer, Riven placed her blade aside. She stretched out her muscles and realized she was dirty. The Exile stunk of death. Riven looked around the house until coming across what she assumed was the bathroom. Opening the door, she noticed a man's silhouette behind the shower curtain.

"Oh! Oh my, I'm… I'm so sorry."

The figure offered no reply.

"Uh look, I'm sorry for trespassing in your home. I'm just in a tight spot right now and need some… help… getting…"

Riven stopped her words when noticing the figure not moving. Now that she took in the situation, there wasn't any water running. Suspicion grew as her red eyes narrowed. Carefully approaching the shower, Riven swung the curtain open.

"Ugh! Oh God!"

The man was dead. His shirt had been removed with dried up blood everywhere along his chest. The only thing keep him standing up were a few webs. Something had bitten him.

"That's not right." Riven said almost vomiting.

The girl felt the need get out of there in the fear of people passing by, but then again it seemed like the man had been dead for at least 24 hours and nobody noticed him yet. Perhaps he was a loner when he was still alive. As inhuman as it was, Riven wasn't sure if she'd come across another opportunity like this. Riven cut the webs holding the man and gently rested him on a seat outside the shower. She locked the door and undressed.

Riven enjoyed the warmth of the shower. The bathrooms mirror was soon covered in steam as she hummed slightly. It felt she was washing the past off her body, ready to start anew. When the shower finally concluded, Riven stepped out and covered her body with a towel. Apart from the corpse in the bathroom, she was enjoying herself.

The Exile wasn't sure which clothing to pick out. She tossed her tattered uniform into the trash and chose to go for an appearance that hopefully wouldn't attract attention. She found the closet of the former owner which had a unique set of armor along the clothing. Riven figured this could be useful.

The girl slipped on green pants with a blue shirt. To top it off, she put a hood over her white hair. The girl then slipped on the white armored legs and sleeves along with a chest piece. Riven smiled at her appearance as nothing about her seemed to reminiscent the Noxus heritage. Slinging the blade over her shoulder, Riven left the house and continued onward.

…

* * *

Night had fallen in Ionia. The once lively village was now nearly silent apart from a few shady figures snooping about and the distant cheering of drunks from the interior of taverns. Crickets were chirping into the night with little to no breeze. The moonlight was shining all across the land with stars above.

Three figures left the mansion, quietly going to the location. It was almost 11:30 by the time they reached their destination. A temple's silhouette could be seen in the sky, but not a speck of light inside. The Dark Sovereign must've enjoyed reclusiveness to the brim.

The man and the women took positions on a hill. They could see a road down below that lead to a hillside where the road disappeared behind a mountain, but knew it was the path to whatever lifted people who dared to visit The Dark Sovereign.

The surrounding area seemed deserted. This would give the advantage of not having to worry about any possible and unfortunate witnesses.

"Alright, looking good." James said.

His armor allowed him to blend in well with the darkness of night. Elise and Evelynn had been doing this for decades so they weren't concerned. The man modified his helmet's visor so it was polarized now. You couldn't see his eyes and it gave him more protection in the event The Dark Sovereign did show up. James wasn't that concerned with her.

"Ahhh, brings back memories eh Elise?" Evelynn said nudging The Spider Queen playfully.

Elise merely rolled her eyes, more concerned with the situation at hand.

"Heads up!" James said quietly while pointing. "I see a carriage."

Both women's eyes went down to the direction James was pointing. They could see a carriage, a bit larger than one would expect. It was a coach, mixture of red and yellow and longer than others. There was a single driver up front with the carriage being pulled by two horses. James used his scope to get a look inside, but the curtains were blocking the view. Germez likely didn't have more than one person with him. Perhaps he bought his own personal guard. Hard to tell.

"Oooh, this is gonna be so much fun." Evelynn said with a sigh afterwards. The situation was getting her excited.

Elise took a deep breath. "Commander, kill the horses and let us take care of the rest. You can start to make your way down after you've done your part."

"I'm sorry what? Kill the horses?" James asked.

"Yes." Elise replied with annoyance.

The man scoffed at this. "You said I had to take care of the horses. That didn't mean I had to kill them."

"Typical weak mortals, always care about the living." Elise said mockingly. "You know what you have to do. Get it done."

Evelynn said nothing and she sprinted quietly towards the road below. James watched Elise follow appropriately. He soon lost track of both women as they merged with shadows and darkness. This made him shiver at the thought of being hunted by these two. He aimed his rifle downward where he spotted two large trees directly across from each other. The man assumed that's where he'd have to shoot.

James watched the horses get closer to the trees. He had no idea where the ladies were. Then one of the horses suddenly reared up and ran forward, dragging the carriage awkwardly as the other one stumbled in a similar panic. He could barely make it out, but heard a mad cackle and took that as his cue. Taking a deep breath, James shot his rifle twice. The horses fell over dead with the carriage soon coming to a halt.

He saw two shadowy figures emerge from the trees. James watched the driver par Elise's attack, but he was then stabbed by a lasher from Evelynn. The Commander began to make his way to the scene.

By the time he reached it, James was taken aback by the area. The ground was covered in blood with half a dozen bodies laying around. Two guards were still alive and they were tied up in webbing with their mouths having the same treatment. James could see Evelynn licking some blood off her lashers with Elise merely examining her nails. Both ladies had some blood splattered on them.

"Damn..." James droned.

The sound of his voice made Evelynn stop tasting the blood. She looked at him with wide eyes. The succubus quickly retreated the lasher, blushing at the sight of him. Elise rolled her eyes.

"Nice to see you chose to do the right thing with the horses." Elise said.

"Don't remind me." James said grimly.

"Let's see what else he's hiding in there." Evelynn said approaching the carriage.

"Wait!" James said grabbing her hand. The woman looked at James with confusion. "Allow me. You never know."

She smirked and backed away. James drew his sidearm and braced himself against the carriage. With a deep breath, the man opened the door and jumped in.

"Drop it." He said.

There was former Noxus Commander Roland Germez, dressed in a higher up looking fashion. A tan jacket with a light blue dress shirt underneath and black trousers. He must've been trading the elders for money.

Speaking of elders, that's who he had in front of him. An old man was blindfolded, mouth agape with fear. Germez had a knife to his throat.

"I'll kill him!" Germez said with nervousness in his voice. "Believe me I'll do it!"

James chuckled at this and adjusted his aim to the man's exposed shoulder. Before he could go any further, a lasher flew past James's head and stabbed the elder. The man gasped before ceasing his movements and the lasher retreated, pulling a still-beating heart out with its functioning stopping soon after. The organ writhed uselessly in Evelynns hand, blood leaking from its openings. James looked back at this with a disgusted look under his mask, but said nothing.

Germez on the other hand dropped the lifeless corpse and made a dive towards James who was distracted by the act. The man managed to regain his senses and barely avoided the lethal swipe at his throat. James was still tackled by Germez and they fell out of the carriage onto the ground. The man attempted to stab him, but James grabbed his hand and sent a fist into Germez's cheek. Falling off James, Germez tried to get back up, but a foot belonging to Elise slammed into his throat. James stole the weapon from him and pushed The Spider Queen's foot off his assailant.

Full of adrenaline from the attack, James lifted up Germez and carelessly threw him against one of the trees the women used. James harshly sent the knife into Germez's shoulder where it cut through the flesh and pinned him against the tree. The man groaned loudly at the pain as James backed up a bit from him. Blood trickled from the wound.

Elise mumbled a few words and a soundproof shield formed around the site of the massacre. James heard some groans behind him as Elise and Evelynn both pulled the two guards to the tree.

"Good work Commander. I'm rather surprised at your actions." Elise said with a hint of admiration.

James grunted in response. He was also surprised by his actions. The feeling from earlier was making him feel the urge to release his pent up rage on the one who betrayed his home.

"Commander James Holland." Germez said with mockery. He recognized the signature armor. "The Grand Generals favourite Commander and al-"

"Ah." James said cutting Germez off with a squeeze of his throat. "Not a Goddamn word."

Releasing his grip, James looked to Elise and Evelynn.

"Do what you gotta do. I'll look around, keep an eye out for any new arrivals."

"Oh my James, so honest and straight forward, willing to cut down anyone in cold blood." Evelynn purred.

This time he growled making Evelynn's grin disappear. Elise cleared her throat and turned the succubus's attention back to their victims.

James didn't intend to keep an eye out for anybody. He didn't want anything to do with the torturing of this hunt. He'd done his part after all. The Commander stood outside of the sound shield, removing his masks mouth plate before taking a cigarette and lighting it up. He looked up to the temples silhouette. James narrowed his eyes as he took an inhale from the stick.

"So this is what The Dark Sovereign does? She makes bargains with cowards to collect those she believes were holding her back because they didn't want her to become too powerful? To keep her contained?" He asked himself before chuckling. "I can imagine that she'd see a different motive. Too arrogant to see the bigger picture."

James's chuckled abruptly stopped as he looked down to the bloody ground. A realization came to him.

"_Arrogant? Powerful magic? Killing those who she believes were holding her back?"_

The man's fist clenched as he spat the cigarette out and stomped it with his boot.

…

* * *

"_Why is being different considered a sin James? Why are you doing this?!" Culda asked with agitation._

"_Because I cannot stand by this! I refuse to be with someone who would resort to such tactics to advance ahead of others! You are not different, you're just unreasonable! Killing someone who would enforce rules that are rational." James snapped._

"_People fear what they cannot understand." Culda said back. "You sound just like my parents! They saw the power I gained through the books and tried to take it away from me. They tried to extinguish it because they didn't understand."_

_James glared at Culda and paced to her, his fists balled up._

"_You are delusional. They tried to stop it because they feared for their safety and yours. The things you learned were powerful, but you refused any notion of balance or restraint. You didn't listen to reason. You killed them in cold blood!"_

"_Because they WANTED to take it away! Didn't you hear what I sa-!"_

"_I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!" James roared. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily. "That's the problem with you Culda. You listen to nobody else but yourself. You always want to take what you want by force."_

"_James? Please?" Culda begged. "Don't do this."_

"_I am not a possession of yours Culda. You knew I would never agree to this and yet here you are trying to manipulate me into staying with you."_

_He felt her grab his arm with both her hands. James looked into Culdas eyes that were now glowing with rage. She scowled at him._

"_Don't even think about walking away from me. You are mine James, and you always will be."_

_The man felt his arms begin to burn a bit. He looked down to see Culda's hands glowing with smoke soon emitting, clearly one of her spells. Glaring at her, James yanked his arm out of her grip._

"_If you take actions when you are angry Culda, you will create a result that will be the biggest regret you made in life." James said clutching his slightly burnt arm. "Stay away from me. We're through."_

_Culda tried her best to appear mad, but the words broke her heart. James watched with pity as she broke down sobbing. Saying nothing else, the man took his coat and left her house, not looking back as her cries kept echoing through his ears._

…

* * *

In the present, James took sharp breaths and took out another cigarette. Culda seemed to be very much alike The Dark Sovereign. There was a reason he felt more anger now, and that was because of their actions against those who were only trying to help for the safety of others. It is true that the unknown isn't always evil, but when it is used and abused with consequential effects, that is when it must be sent away or contained. James felt the need to stop Culda even more.

"James?"

The man snapped out of his thoughts and quickly brought his weapon out taking aim. Heavy breaths came from him as Evelynn's eyes went wide from the rifle being pointed at her face. James sighed and brought it down, slightly embarrassed.

"Don't sneak up on me like that. Next time I could accidentally shoot you and feel guilty about it afterwards."

Evelynn's eyes lit up with amusement and she slightly smiled. "Feel guilty?"

Groaning with annoyance, James turned fully to the demon. "Do you have to question everything I say? Why can't I offer slight sympathies without you questioning it huh? Come to think of it, why are you even out here?"

The Agony's Embrace frowned at the words the man spouted at her.

"Um, E-Elise told me to come get you. Germez said he will talk to you without any problems." She said.

James raised a brow inside his mask. Seemed unlikely, but he'd take the chance. Flicking the burnt out stick away, he went back inside the shield. James was surprised to see that the two guards were still alive. Elise was leaning against the carriage, keeping a close eye on the man.

He squatted down in front of Germez, hands on both his knees for support.

"Alright, guess you're willing to talk. I can't say I'm surprised at your submissiveness given how easily you went rogue."

The former Commander scoffed at this.

"Yeah I lied about that part. I just figured I'd inform you that your little bitch back in Noxus has been um, how should I say this… killed?" Germez said.

James immediately grabbed the man's throat again, showing no hesitation in choking.

"You lie." James said with clenched teeth. "Tell me this; what are you doing with The Dark Sovereign? Why are you delivering elders to her temple? What's the profit in it?"

"I bet you'd like to know." Germez replied wheezily. "I'm more interested in giving you the graphic details of Jades demise. How the men took turns fucking h-"

A pained cry came from the man when James pulled the knife out of his shoulder. Letting him slid to the ground, James kicked Germez down and quickly pressed his boot on the mans neck, the face of the traitor soon turning red.

Elise and Evelynn were surprised at James's sudden actions. He'd been cheerful earlier and now he was acting ruthless. Easing some of the pressure off Germez, James grabbed one of his arms and pulled back two of the fingers.

"Answer the question coward. What business are you doing with The Dark Sovereign? Is she collaborating with Culda?" James asked.

"Culda told me not too long ago the explicit details of Ja- AHHH!"

James pulled back the man's fingers, dislocating them with a snap. Elise and Evelynn's mouths were agape.

"**Speak you traitorous fuck!**" The man said menacingly.

Germez yelled at the pain but still refused to budge. Angered significantly, James brought out his rifle and shot both guards in the head. Elise and Evelynn gasped at this.

"Commander! What the hell?!" Elise exclaimed.

"Simmer down Elise." James said without looking.

He noticed Germez reach down into his pocket and James quickly stomped his boot in the spot. The man groaned with pain, but then James felt something pierce his foot and he reeled back. Germez pulled out a switch blade which was quickly kicked away by James.

"That was damn stupid of you!" He said delivering a kick to Germez's face which broke his nose.

The Commander crouched back down and without hesitation, pulled back Germez's wrist and dislocated it. The man screamed in pain and agony which made Elise and even Evelynn jump a bit.

"Oh my God, this is so, so…" Evelynn said smiling.

"Unexpected?" Elise asked.

They both laughed in unison through the screams of Germez. James pushed the man who was now sobbing back against the tree.

"I won't ask again. What are you doing with The Sovereign?" He demanded.

Getting no answer, James sighed.

"Evelynn." He said not turning around.

The demons eyes lit up with excitement at the demand. She merrily skipped over to James, looking at him with admiration and awe.

"Yes love?" She asked seductively.

James leaned to her ear to whisper a few words. Germez saw Evelynn's eyes look down at the ground before darting up to him. A mischievous grin formed on her as James reeled back.

"Do you know how rude it is to ask a woman like me to do such an indecent act? You forgot your manners."

"Please?" James said with an unseen eyeroll.

"Of course love!" Evelynn giggled. "Just promise me you won't get jealous."

He groaned while the succubus squatted down to Germez's crotch area. The trapped man didn't have time to take in the situation before he felt a grip on his manhood. Evelynn's claws tore through the clothing and roughly gripped his cock. Germez felt some stings all around the area. That's when he realised it.

"No. No please!" He begged.

Evelynn looked up to James like she was expecting his approval to proceed. The Commander merely nodded. Germez soon felt her claws easily slice through the flesh making him scream.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK! PLEASE STOP!" He begged with tears streaming from his eyes.

Evelynn pouted and released her grip, intentionally leaving some cuts along Germez's legs. James pushed him down to the ground where he pitifully whimpered making Elise and Evelynn laugh more.

"Well then…" James said crouching down again. He brought his hands together in a business like manner. "…let's hear it."

…

* * *

"_Where is he?" _A voice asked.

There was nobody else around in the dark hallway. It had a purple color to it and was rather worn out. The taps of five fingers, each sounding one at a time over and over again, could be heard at the presumed end of the hall. A woman was sitting in a chair amongst a throne of purple matter, one hand tapping with the other being a headrest for her. White hair, dressed in a black corset with dark stockings and sleeve wear topped with a black headpiece, it was The Dark Sovereign.

Syndra was her real name.

"_Taking so long for him to arrive up here." _She growled. _"He better not have made up a bargain with those weak elders."_

Just saying those words made Syndra immediately scowl. She had a temper that was a bit short and quickly jumped to her presumed conclusion. She stood up from her throne.

"_That bastard! I knew he was too weak and would take up any bargain that would give him even just a measly extra cent." _She said clenching her fist.

Syndra began to float, three dark spheres surrounding her as she made her way out of the temple. She looked down at Ionia, glaring at the land that housed those who tried to shelter her and her powers. Germez not showing up just sent her anger through the roof.

"_The time has come. I will not be restrained any longer."_

Her eyes glowed purple, the dark spheres soon giving the same look around them. Syndra began to descend from the temple.

…

* * *

"Now was that so hard? All you had to do was answer the questions." James said sarcastically as he took out a pack of cigarettes.

Germez had been bringing an elder to Syndra each week for the purpose of an exchange. She gave him either gold or weapons, he had no say in the choices. Only the night before did Culda secretly teleport here briefly to retrieve the latest weapon, The Void Staff.

She also gave him minor details of why she came at an unexpected time which included the graphic descriptions with James's lover Jade. Elise felt that Culda would receive the message clearly with the discovery of Germez's corpse.

James didn't agree to this.

"No, he has no power here anymore." James said lighting up his smoke. "The Dark Sovereign will, assuming she has the temper you insisted, be furious when he doesn't arrive with another elder and will likely kill him. I say spare him from her demise."

The Spider Queen and even Evelynn gave the man a confused look.

"Are you truly that ignorant Commander?" Elise asked.

James chuckled at this before inhaling a smoke. "Oh no. I know that Culda has a temper far deadlier than The Dark Sovereign." James said. "Portal him to Noxus, let him shiver in fear as he explains why he can't stay in Ionia anymore. Let him explain to Culda Graves that it was Elise, The Spider Queen who made him leave Ionia. Let him relay a message from Commander James Holland who's still alive and well."

"Uh, Commander?" Elise asked. "Are you sure you should be doing this? How do you know he won't immediately teleport back here with you know, some help?"

"Culda Graves is a weakling Elise." James said. "She wouldn't risk sending her men here after what you and Evelynn did to the guards. Besides, she'll be too afraid after learning that me and you are still alive."

Elise soon smiled sinisterly and gave some praise to the man's words. "Delightfully devilish Commander." She purred.

"You two can do what you want with Germez. The message is clear enough. Just leave him alive." James said flicking away the cigarette.

Germez whimpered and Evelynn giggled.

"Your fear is delightful!"

James paced out of the shield again, hearing more screams from the former Commander. He couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine at what the two women were doing to the man, but he didn't care. Knowing that Culda would receive this message made him feel good.

A few minutes passed by before James went back inside. He could see Evelynn covered in blood with Elise remaining nearly untouched. Germez was sobbing on the ground. James looked closer to see that Evelynn had ripped off his manhood and also tore of pieces of flesh from his arms and legs. He was a bloody mess. Elise used a spell to stop the bleeding so Germez wouldn't bleed out. The scene was twisted, but James was slightly impressed, in a weird messed up sort of way.

"Hmm, nice job." He said with a slight nod.

"You think this is nice? Should see what Evelynn would've done to the guards." Elise said with a chuckle.

James winced at the thought.

"Alright let's send him home." James said carelessly lifting up the weeping Germez.

The Spider Queen mumbled some words and then snapped her fingers. A portal appeared by her. James was about to toss Germez through, but Evelynn stopped him.

"Hang on a moment love." She giggled.

The succubus placed a hand on Germez's face which left a bloody handprint. James snorted at this and tossed the man through the portal that soon disappeared after.

Silence filled the air along with the scent of blood. James watched Evelynn dissolve into shadows to clean the blood off her body and Elise crossed her arms. The Commander wasn't sure of what else to say. He'd just participated in a torture with the two most deadly women he'd ever met, with him doing the torture mainly.

"So…" He said trying to speak. "…this is what you two do often?"

Evelynn giggled and advanced on James. "A majority of the time yeah. This time, it was so much more enjoyable and fun with the addition of you! The way you snapped his fingers and killed the two men without hesitation!"

James couldn't believe that he actually did that and strangely felt some satisfaction from it. Evelynn could sense this.

"Hurting is yummy." She whispered.

"You impress me Commander. Not what I expected from a mortal." Elise said.

James groaned, but this time it had a playful side to it. Something about getting praise from these beings made him feel a bit happy.

"_I might be going batshit crazy."_ He thought to himself before chuckling a bit. "Uh, we should probably get back to the mansion. In case anyone else comes along."

The two women smiled at him. However, their gazes went slightly upward, mouths soon agape. James turned around to see what they meant.

The carriage Germez used was being lifted above them, glowing purple at the edges. When it got higher, they saw a figure floating in the air. James narrowed his eyes before they became wide open.

"The Dark Sovereign." He muttered.

Syndra appeared to have a crazed expression on her face. Purple eyes glowing brightly and a sinister grin.

"MOVE! IT'S HER!" James said quickly.

Elise and Evelynn were also fearful of the purple mage despite their nature. The Spider Queen began to cast another portal spell, but it was cut short as she heard Syndra laugh coldly as she threw the carriage their way.

"Watch out!" James shouted.

The man and women dove to avoid the oncoming object. James dove to the right while Elise and Evelynn were forced to dive to the left. The carriage landed and rolled numerously with it stopping on its wheels. Syndra flew closer to her targets, spheres at the ready.

"_WHERE IS GERMEZ?!" _She shouted, voice echoing through the area.

"Ugh. How did I get myself into this?" James muttered to himself as he got up.

Receiving no answer, Syndra's temper reached its limit. She chose to go after Elise and Evelynn. The two were hiding behind a tree, prepared to attack the mage. Evelynn entered her demon shade and prowled along the ground. Syndra picked up this movement and turned to where she presumed Evelynn was. The Widow Maker managed to move just in time to dodge the purple sphere that exploded into existence right where she was moments ago. Elise shot a web at Syndra who easily deflected it. She scattered her spheres at The Spider Queen, sending Elise crashing into the tree with a pained groan. She fell to her knees, grasping her stomach.

Angered by this, Evelynn lunged from the bushes at Syndra who didn't even have to turn her head to send a sphere into the blue woman who crashed into the ground harshly.

_"I am untouchable."_ She said with a proud smirk.

A gunshot was heard which made Syndra immediately turn her head. Anger formed on her face at the sight of an armored man. He was aiming his sidearm at her.

"Come on you bitch! Show me what you got!" James said trying not to show his fear.

Syndra cackled and began to send spheres his way. The Commander put his training to good use, though he never specifically trained for encounters such as this. Dark Spheres were hurtled at James who swiftly, but barely dodged them as best as he could. The spheres barely contacted his armor which left scratches. The man returned fire with his sidearm, though his aim was off significantly given his present situation. If he stopped for a second to take aim, he'd probably be dead.

Evelynn helped Elise up and they watched the battle between The Dark Sovereign and The Noxian Elite Commander. Both of them seemed to be neck in neck until Syndra predicted his next step and he was tripped by a sphere. James felt his weapon begin to shake and was forced out of his hand. Dark purple energy surrounded the pistol as it was brought to Syndra who had a hand on her hip.

"_Weakling."_

James's sidearm was crushed and then dissolved into nothing. His eyes showed fear under his helmet and he yelled in pain when a dark sphere hit his stomach, sending the man into a nearby stone wall.

"_YOU WOULD DARE ATTACK THE SOVEREIGN?!" _Syndra shouted.

Numerous spheres soon appeared beside James in explosions. Each one caused him more pain as he gritted his teeth. His uniform became torn with blood leaking out and his visor was cracked slightly. Syndra gathered up all the new spheres to her.

"Oh that's not good."

With a yell, Syndra gathered lifted the spheres and threw them at James. He felt the objects hit his body harshly, making him cough up blood with each strike.

Then the barrage stopped abruptly. James's eyes were barely open, but he saw a web get fired at Syndra that stunned her. Spikes struck her from below with a pained yell coming from the Sovereign. Syndra reacted accordingly to the attacks, sending her spheres back at the unseen targets.

"No! Don't die love! Stay alive!" A familiar voice said.

James's eyes opened a bit more to see Evelynn in front of him, a fearful expression on her face.

"Evelynn…" James said weakly.

The succubus's brows furrowed, feeling something she didn't feel _ever__. _

Removing the mouthpiece and cupping his cheeks, Evelynn placed a passionate kiss on James's lips. She didn't charm the kiss with allure, but something to give the man a boost of energy. Breaking it, Evelynn watched James's eyes close briefly before they opened again being crimson red.

James looked to see Elise engaged in a desperate battle with The Dark Sovereign. She shielded herself and blasted dark magic that was easily deflected by Syndra.

"We can't beat her. You two gotta get out of here." James said.

Evelynn tilted her head with a very concerned look.

"You make it sound like you wouldn't be coming with us."

"I will. I just… just trust me. Please." James said as he groaned to stand up.

"No! No! We're not leaving you!" Evelynn said.

James was surprised by her concern.

"Trust me. I'll be fine." He said.

Evelynn frowned at this and looked to see that Elise was drained from fighting the Sovereign. She was braced against a large tree and occasionally fired her magic at Syndra. James pushed Evelynn to go to The Spider Queen which she hesitantly did.

"_Come out and fight me! Face my immense power!" _Syndra shouted.

Another gunshot sounded with Syndra looking back again. James was aiming his rifle at her.

"Why don't you finish what you started, with me?" He said slinging his rifle behind his back.

Syndra cackled at this. She first sent a few spheres to Elise which seemingly knocked the woman unconscious. Instead of pelting James, Syndra extended her hand out, balling it up and raising her fist into the air. James felt himself get forcefully yanked up into the air. Syndra brought him closer to her until they were face to face.

"_You are a brave man, but utterly foolish!" _Syndra said before examining his uniform. _"Did you really believe you could stop me with your advanced armament? An entire legion couldn't stop me, what chance could you possibly have?"_

James, through her tight grasp, managed to swing his boot upward into Syndra's face. The impact was harsh and gave her a bloody nose. The Sovereign yelled at the pain and dropped James as she clutched her nose. The spheres also dropped and the man wasted no time quickly running.

Evelynn was helping up a now conscious Elise and James joined them.

"Uh Elise? That portal spell could be real handy right now." He said nervously.

The Spider Queen groaned and James sighed. Syndra whimpered as her body adjusted to the pain and James looked back at her with alarm.

"Ah hell." He muttered.

His gaze fell upon the carriage. A smile tugged at his mouth as he got an idea. A crazy idea. "Come on. Get to the carriage." He said carrying Elise with Evelynn helping.

"James what the hell are you doing?"

"Just trust me on this."

Syndra finally recovered from the kick. It'd been a long time since she'd felt that kind of pain. She heard a whistle and turned to see the one responsible for her wound. James stood by the carriage, seemingly taunting Syndra. The Sovereign glared, rage visibly in her eyes.

"_I WILL BREAK YOU!"_

She summoned what seemed like an armada of spheres. Yelling, she directed them at James.

"HERE WE GO!" He shouted.

The dark spheres flew past the carriage to The Commander and a leather horse harness was thrown out where it snagged one. Soon the carriage was jerked forward with the force of the sphere's speed. The harness had been tied around the front.

"EVELYNN!" He shouted.

Before the spheres hit, a figure enveloped James and then disappeared. Syndra's mouth was agape and soon became clenched. On the front of the speeding carriage was Elise where Evelynn appeared with James wrapped in her arms. James was surprised the plan was working and he let out a little heartfelt laugh.

Syndra finally took notice of her prey on the carriage and changed the direction of her spheres. The dark objects smashed through the reinforced walls, wood splintering everywhere violently. The trio managed to avoid them as the carriage was torn apart bit by bit. Syndra then saw that one of her spheres was dragging the thing and she abruptly changed the direction of the sphere to the left causing a tilt.

"BRACE!" James shouted.

The three of them yelled as the carriage was tipped over on it's side with the trio being flung from the front and tumbling across the ground as the carriage smashed from the impact.

Syndra cackled at this and floated over to the destroyed carriage. She prepared her spheres for another attack, but stopped when seeing no bodies on the ground. Raising a brow, Syndra heard some rustling from the forest and jerked her head in that direction. Her spheres glowed more and she gritted her teeth.

"Come on, come on!" James whispered.

"Look you wanna do this?" Elise said with frustration. "Be my guest."

Groaning at her attitude, James turned to see Syndra making her way to their location. Her spheres cleared out the trees by smashing them down, her eyes glowing brightly.

"We're out of time! Go now!" James said.

A portal opened in front of the trio and Syndra took notice of this. She yelled and sent every single sphere after them. James was the last to make it through and the portal closed. Syndra's targets had escaped.

"_NO! NO, NO NO!"_

The Dark Sovereign screamed angrily and the spheres swirled around her violently. The trees were torn down as she kept releasing her rage.

…

* * *

Grunts sounded inside the mansion as James, Evelynn, and Elise fell out of the portal. They were all bruised up from The Dark Sovereigns skirmish. James removed his helmet and gasped for fresh air as his crimson eyes turned back to normal. Evelynn and Elise sat up, barely keeping their balance. James followed soon after and all that could be heard was their heavy breathing.

The three of them took a good five minutes to collect their thoughts from the event. What started as a simple hunt ended in near death and a bloody battle with one of the deadliest mages in all of Runeterra.

"Never a dull moment with you two huh?" He asked sarcastically.

"What? You didn't have fun?" Elise said out with a violent cough afterwards.

"I have a newfound respect for you James. Your methods of torture are far less messy, but still manage to make a man scream and whimper in terror." Evelynn said.

James chuckled at this and sighed. He felt a little satisfaction showing a traitor such as Germez what happens when you abandon your people for no good reason. He just hoped that this wouldn't become something he enjoyed.

"_Jade."_ He thought to himself.

Germez's words made James think now. At first he believed it was just to get him pent up, but now that he had time to collect his thoughts, James wondered if it was true. He'd been unconscious for a while and there was no telling if Jade was alive or not.

"I need to get to Noxus." He said.

"What?"

"I ne- I need to get to Noxus! I have to see Jade!" James said with slight panic. "Elise, teleport me there!"

"Excuse me Commander?" Elise asked.

"I told you I need to- AGH!"

James stood up, but the sudden action made him cry out in pain. The adrenaline rush had faded and he could feel pure pain again that wasn't from a sphere. He fell to his knees, grasping his stomach in pain as Evelynn came to his aid.

"James! James! Take it easy!" She said.

He was still surprised by her choices to help him. Evelynn took one of his arms and slumped it over her to support him.

"Your rendezvous with Jane or whatever her name is can wait love. Come on, let's get you to bed."

The man wanted to counter this, but the thought of laying in bed sounded like paradise right now. Limping him to his quarters, Evelynn sat down with James on the bed and gently laid him across. After doing this, she could see a significant bloody spot on his stomach. Evelynn removed the armor without James's consent and could see a wound that was a few inches deep.

Evelynn licked her lips. She could've done the usual thing and suck the crimson from the wound, but she didn't. The woman left the bedroom and soon returned with a rag and alcohol.

"What're you doing?" James asked weakly.

"You're bleeding honey. You need to be tended to." Evelynn said soaking the rag.

James peeked over seeing what she meant. "Ah, it's only a flesh wound." He said with a chuckle.

"Well we still can't risk it getting infected."

The man's words were cut off when Evelynn gently dabbed at the spot with the rag. His fists clenched and he gritted his teeth at the pain, but that soon faded away as he felt the actions slowly begin to take its course. Evelynn set aside the rag and looked back at James. Their eyes met in a gaze as she tilted her head.

"Drink?" She said sheepishly as she offered the alcoholic bottle to James who snickered.

"I'm not sure if I should given my condition, but after what we've endured tonight, I'll gladly take a gulp.

Evelynn giggled and James took the bottle. He reared his head back as he took a longer than expected sip. Removing it from his mouth, James felt the contents faintly take effect on him causing a smile to form.

"Evelynn…" He began. She looked to him, smirking with a little purse of her lips. "…thank you."

She cooed at him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Anytime love."

An exhale came from James whose eyes began to close. Evelynn removed her hand from his cheek and her expression went back to being neutral. His actions tonight made her feel great respect for him compared to their encounter when she had him bounded. Evelynn leaned closer to James, her mouth opening wider each moment she closed in. Her eyes closed as she felt his warm and soft exhales.

This was interrupted by a loud snore.

Evelynn flinched and reeled her head back. She'd practically straddled herself onto him. The woman slapped herself for doing such a thing and got off him. She proceeded to leave the bedroom, but then looked back.

"I feel… cold." She said to herself.

Evelynn went back to James who was clearly in a deep sleep. She couldn't stop smiling at him. What she failed to tell James is she was grateful for his heroic actions tonight. He saved them from The Dark Sovereign, to an extent. The way he risked his life to save beings like her and Elise despite knowing their nature.

Seeing him do good things made her feel… happy.

Gently taking his arm, Evelynn lifted it over and sat down on the bed. She laid across with her back to James and nestled her body against his. Then Evelynn let go of his arm, letting it enfold her and sheltering her with warmth. The woman could hear his heartbeat and it made her smile more as she drifted off to sleep.


	12. Blood Moon

It was raining in the city of Noxus. Dark clouds covered the sky with the sounds of thunder and flashes of lighting.

Inside of Balgan's mansion that was now occupied by Culda, Captain Minh was outside of the bedroom in his full armor except his helmet. He was standing in an off position, away from the door as he feared for his own safety.

Germez had come back to Noxus, or in this case teleported. Culda's operatives picked up this activity and quickly made their way to the location with the expectations it was another Black Rose member. They were surprised to find him there, greatly wounded but not bleeding. Captain Minh demanded the reason for his return, but his attitude turned to fear when Germez told him what happened.

Now he was outside the room where Germez was explaining to Culda why he couldn't stay. The Captain was scared.

"What am I worried about? It's not me who's gotta inform her. I'm sure Culda will be understanding and rational." He said with a smile. "Yeah! She'll understand!

"WHAT?!" A voice shouted from inside.

The man turned around at the sound of this. His expression changed from confident to fearful.

"Y-Yeah! It was three of them, one was James Holland and another was Elise! I didn't know the third persons name but she was blue!" Germez said fearfully.

Minh brought his hands together in a futile prayer to hope this would change soon.

"AND YOU LET THEM GET THE BETTER OF YOU?! YOU LET THEM JUST MERRILY SLAUGHTER YOUR MEN AND YOU BENT OVER AT THEIR COMMAND?!"

"N-N-No Culda! T-They were quick and knew I was c-c-com-m-ing! They must'v-!"

The sentence was cut off when Germez was thrown through the doors of the room into the hall. He crashed into the wall and landed on the floor groaning. Minh's eyes widened, but soon heard heavy panting from the doorway. He looked to see Culda standing there, hair disheveled and fists clenched. Fearing for his life, Minh picked up Germez none-too gently and waited for Culda.

"You let them push you around." She said with venom in her voice, harshly slapping Germez with enough force to make his head jerk in the direction. "The Dark Sovereign was the main supplier of Ionia's weapons when she felt like giving them, and now, our ties with her are likely severed, thanks to your INCOMPETANCE!" Culda kicked Germez's face when saying the last word. She gestured to Minh to pick him up which he did.

"But luckily…" She said with an abruptly calmer tone, "…we've got all we need from The Sovereign as well. Her services are no longer necessary."

Germez let out a cracked sigh of relief, but this changed when realizing that Culda had led them to another hallway. He saw a heavily defended door, two guards outside with a magical shield visible.

"Unfortunately, you failed me my dear Germez." Culda said with a head tilt and pout. "You let James Holland and the spider bitch get the better of you. I guess I should've expected that from a man who went rogue without second thoughts."

"I keep telling you I didn't let them! They broke my fingers and dislocated my wrists! Hell, even ripped off my cock after I told them everything!"

The man realized that his last sentence was better left unsaid. Culda's mouth had a stern look as her eyes showed rage.

"And there you go again! You break under possible bluffs! What did you think they'd do after you spouted what you know?! No wonder Noxus is falling! Swain has too many ignorant commanders at his side!"

Germez spoke more, but Culda ordered Minh to keep his mouth shut. She turned to the door. The woman casted a spell and the barrier disappeared.

"Being the merciful woman I am, you won't be alone in there." Culda said before turning to her Captain. "Throw him in."

Minh opened the door and carelessly threw Germez into the room. He groaned loudly at the pain his already damaged body received. He noticed another figure in there and he heard Minh lock the door. Culda set up the shield again and then left with Minh.

"Shit." Germez said to himself.

"What're you in for?" The unknown figure asked.

Germez turned to the figure, still silhouetted by the darkness. He carefully approached him, eyes widening with surprise to find it was Balgan Darkwill.

"Holy. Shit."

…

* * *

"Do you plan to keep them alive in there milady?" Minh asked.

"Only until everything is finally in motion." Culda replied. "This news of James and the spider bitch being alive is truly unfortunate."

"Shall I teleport there with a lancer of soldiers? We can make short work of them."

"No." Culda said not even looking. "You barely survived a single encounter with the spider bitch and with James having her at his side, you'd be dead the moment you saw them."

"With respect, milday." Minh said with a hint of venom in his voice. "I'm mor-"

"Are you questioning my choices as your leader, _Captain Minh?_" Culda said with malice.

He shuddered in fear again. Minh noticed her left hand had a flame forming in it, emerald eyes getting brighter.

"No Miss Culda." He said.

"Good." Culda replied. "We won't have to worry about them. I've already instructed the operatives to go through the trouble of ensuring they won't ever set foot in Noxus again."

"And how is that going to happen?"

She cackled at the question before smiling mischievously. "You'll see my dear Minh, you'll see."

They kept walking as Culda's expression kept switching between a smile and a scowl.

"_You should be dead James! Guess that slut who kicked me into the portal rescued you!" _Culda thought. _"No matter, you'll never set foot in Noxus again. Not when I'm finally The Grand General! You will perish like your little girlfriend did._

…

* * *

Curtains barely kept the sun from shining brightly into the bedroom of the mansion. Birds lively chirped in the distance as another morning happened in Ionia. Well, it was past 10am so it'd been shining for a while.

James took a deep inhale of air as he felt himself wake up from a lovely sleep. His head buried into the soft pillows as he opened his mouth with a yawn. The position felt more comfortable than usual which made James raised a brow as he opened his eyes. To the mans surprise, he found himself looking at Evelynn who was also asleep. Immediately he wanted to speak, but the woman had a smile on her face as she kept dreaming. James figured he shouldn't disturb her. He almost yelled when realizing his arms were wrapped around her.

"_Oh brother."_ He thought.

The man gently removed his arms from Evelynn who began to mumble in her sleep.

"No, no… stay with me…" She said.

James quietly chuckled when seeing some drool next to her mouth on the pillow. She must've slept with him after he dozed off and enjoyed the feeling. Finally getting off the bed, James looked back again to see her hand was sprawled out where he was, a frown forming with a shiver. Sighing, James took the covers and gently used them to shelter Evelynn who smiled a bit at the warmth. The man said nothing as he turned and went out of the bedroom leaving Evelynn alone.

As soon as he left, her feline eyes opened, darting at the doorway.

Walking down the hallway, James merrily whistled another tune before choosing to sing. As he kept walking, Evelynn peaked out of the doorway, hair disheveled with a smile.

"_The summer wind came blowin' in from across the sea_

_It lingered there, to touch your hair and walk with me_

_All summer long we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand_

_Two sweethearts and the summer wind"_

Evelynn leaned against the wall, sighing with a smile and closed eyes as James's voice took her to Heaven.

…

* * *

"Morning Commander." Elise said.

James walked into the kitchen seeing The Spider Queen sipping some tea with one hand and reading a book in another.

"Morning Elise." He replied.

"Are you still feeling sore from last night?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Elise cackled and just shrugged. "Well regardless, I never got to thank you for your quick thinking last night. We'd have probably been in a worse situation if you didn't use the carriage."

James chuckled. He sat down with his stomach growling and Elise raised a brow at this.

"Hungry are we?" She snickered.

"Yes, I'm sorry that my body demands food to be alive." James said sarcastically.

The Spider Queen snapped her fingers and a plate of toast appeared in front of James who blinked with astonishment. She laughed at the reaction and ensured it was safe to eat. The Commander happily helped himself.

…

* * *

"What could've done this?" An Ionian soldier asked observing the ruins of the forest.

"Most likely it was Noxians." Another soldier said. "They burn and pillage everything in their path. Pure scum."

A group of Ionian soldiers had arrived at the aftermath of Syndra's skirmish with the trio the night before. A large pool of blood with dozens of bodies, a destroyed carriage, and little to no remnants of a great forest.

"It wasn't Noxians." A voice sounded.

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice. They saw two figures, both of them women. One was in a kimono with the other being in white and red armor with shoulder guards. Both had a unique symbol on their backs.

Irelia, The Will of The Blades and Karma, The Enlightened One.

"How do you know it wasn't?" The soldier asked.

"Because the Noxians couldn't do such damage in such short time, not to mention they are nowhere near this place. They're over on the far south." Irelia said.

"Then who did it?"

Irelia and Karma both looked up at the floating temple of The Dark Sovereign. The soldiers followed their gaze, gulping at the sight.

"She may finally be starting her quest for vengeance Irelia." Karma said. "She used this merely as an example of her newfound power."

"No." Irelia said.

The Will of the Blades went to the crimson looking ground. Karma winced when she saw Irelia picked up a body, wiping the blood off the head. It was the elder whose heart got pulled out. Irelia almost gagged when seeing the hole in his chest.

"The work of the forest was definitely her doing, but this is not. The Sovereign would never be this brutal even with the elders who banished her. This is the work of something far more sinister."

Karma closed her eyes and concentrated her mind. She hummed as green swirls formed in both her hands. The soldiers waited for her to finish her task.

"I am picking up frequencies of dark magic in this area. This is a spell that has never put into use by any mage in Ionia, not even The Sovereign."

"Is it Noxian?" A soldier asked.

"It is difficult to tell. All I know is it is foreign, but it's dark power is unlike any I've seen."

"Sounds like it is probably from Noxus." The soldier replied.

"Do not jump to such conclusions so quickly." Irelia said. "Karma, is this presence strong? Is it all around the area?"

"The presence is all over this place!" Karma said almost alarmed. "But… I can pick up another faint feeling from a reclusive area. It happened after all the spells were casted here."

Irelia exhaled sharply. "Where is it coming from?"

Karma hummed again. She spoke an Ionian phrase and her eyes glowed green.

"Up there!" She said pointing to the cliff.

Irelia stepped onto her weapon with Karma doing the same. She held her hand as they flew up to the top of the hill. Karma pointed out at the mansion owned by Elise. Irelia narrowed her eyes at the structure, wondering if the owners had anything to do with the current situation, if the place even had an owner.

…

* * *

"_Where is it coming from? Up there!"_

Up in her temple, Syndra was observing the whole situation currently happening down below through her spheres. The Dark Sovereign left a sphere down there after finally calming herself down from last nights' skirmish. She sat on her throne, legs crossed and her fingers on her chin as she smirked.

"Weak minded fools!" She said to herself. "You are ignorant Enlightened One! This isn't a quest for revenge, this is the beginning of the end. The extermination of all those who would dare oppress me across this pathetic excuse for a country! But not yet. First, I will hunt down those three who dared to attack me. That man in particular. I will make him regret everything before bringing an end to his pathetic life."

Syndra focused her mind, doing the actions similar to what Karma did. Soon, she picked up the same feeling of dark magic. Elise's magic.

"I could fly over to that mansion right now and squish those worms." She said thinking. "No. No. It's better if I do it where everyone can see it. Let them know that the time of their demise has come. I will slaughter all of them."

She noticed Irelia and Karma fly up the hill. She cackled.

"Yes. Run, playthings."

…

* * *

Riven originally returned to the house of the now deceased man as a means to settle in, but mainly to survive in the new environment. She was a former Noxian Commander in Ionian territory and decided that she'd try to salvage what she could in her new life. The Exile pretty much emptied nearly every cabinets as she helped herself to the food. It was delicious and she felt her energy come back with a couple belches sounding through the house.

Despite all the comfort, Riven felt uneasy in the location. Nobody had still passed by, but that didn't mean she'd be alone forever. Even the most distant people have others related to them and sooner or later they'd come around. Finding an unknown girl in the house of a dead man would be difficult to explain. Before leaving, Riven tore apart the house to find the man's currency. Eventually she found his stash; a bag of gold. It wasn't much, but it'd do her well until she found another way to take care of herself.

The Exile didn't expect the village to be so lively. She avoided drawing any attention to herself, keeping her hood up with a hunched posture. This didn't stop her from taking in her surroundings. Everywhere she looked, there were huge amounts of people in unique attire, mainly red, purple, and white along with the buildings having magnificent decorations. Riven looked up at a sign.

"_Blood Moon Festival?" _She said reading it.

Looking around, she gestured to herself before reading more. Riven's eyes widened with interest.

"_Only tonight can you show your true skills in combat. Fight the undefeated Champion in all of Ionia; Jax, The Grandmaster at Arms. Contestants get 1000 gold for participating and 5000 for winning."_

"1000 gold!?" Riven quietly said to herself.

The offer immediately caught her attention. 1000 gold was more than enough for The Exile to start anew. Riven looked at her broken blade with slight regret as it would've probably come in handy with the duel. Still, she could always improvise and it didn't matter if she won.

Riven figured she could make do with the gold she had and decided to treat herself. She walked to a crowded looking bar, taking a seat between some already drunk customers.

"What can I get for you today miss?" The bartender asked.

"A pint of ale please."

He nodded and Riven smiled. Despite the trials and tribulations she endured over the last week and a half, things were starting to turn up. She'd left behind her homeland and felt happy about it. The girl wanted to forget about everything she had, even what she cherished. Maddoc would be devastated at her being presumed dead, but if she returned now she'd be accused of being a deserter. Riven could only hope that he'd stay safe and move on.

"_If I ever see that bitch Culda again I will- no! No Riven! Stop it! You got out of there alive! Someday, James and Jade's deaths will be brought to justice, and that bitch will hang from highest tower in all of Noxus." _Her mind said clearly troubled. Riven took a deep breath.

The bartender returned with her drink. Riven thanked him for it and took the glass.

"Here's to starting anew." She said before taking a sip.

…

* * *

"Aaaaahhhh." James said leaning back from a delicious breakfast.

Elise smirked while keeping her crimson orbs on her book. She heard more footsteps from the hallway and peeked over to see Evelynn finally coming into the kitchen. James was stretching and saw Elise's eyes looking in a direction which gave him the hint Evelynn was in the room.

"Morning Evelynn." He said without looking.

The man felt a lasher creep along his chin, making him sigh with amusement and hearing Evelynn giggle. The lasher pulled back around his neck and James felt his head get pressed against a soft surface with a cooing being heard. Elise spat her tea out at the sight.

"What are you doing?" James asked muffled.

"Hugging you!" Evelynn replied.

"I can see that, but please give me some space!" James said muffled still.

Evelynn's eyes opened with a pout on her mouth before realizing what he meant. She had his face pressed into her breasts and immediately released him. The woman nervously chuckled with an apology.

"It's fine." James said. "You don't do that often do you?"

"Only time I do hug is when I'm lathering their blood all over my luscious body!" Evelynn cackled.

The Commander actually chuckled at this. He stood up with another stretch. James and Evelynn looked at each other, slightly smirking as moments passed by.

"You two stink." Elise's voice said.

The two of them turned to The Spider Queen who was doing what she could to dry her tea stained book. They both laughed at this. James realized his uniform was still filthy from the prior evening. Evelynn also had a few cuts on her, but nothing compared to James.

"Guess a shower is in order." He said casually.

Evelynn's stomach filled with excitement when he said that. The day before she'd attempted to jump him, but now she didn't want to do that. It would've sounded bad when he heard it, but Evelynn wanted to ask James if she could join him. Strangely, she didn't have the urge to force it to be sensual, though that's how the woman would like it.

"James, is it alright if I join- oh."

The woman had been so caught up in her racing thoughts that she failed to see James was gone. Evelynn saw Elise smirking at her with crossed arms. Neither said nothing at all.

"Wow the evidence is really piling up. First you sleep with him, now you want to take a shower with him?"

"I didn't sleep with him!" Evelynn spat out. "I only tended to his wounds and he thanked me. We were both tired and I felt cold. It meant nothing."

"Is that why you're blushing now?"

The Agony's Embrace glared at her friend, but it went away. She sighed.

"This is why we do what we do Evelynn." Elise said. "I can understand why you like him. Hell even I like him, but not the same way you do. You're an immortal demon who feeds off pain Evelynn, and he's a mortal from Noxus."

Evelynn's eyes turned from yellow to red, the lashers coming out as she snarled at The Spider Queen.

"What I do with my personal life is none of your business Elise." She said with distortion in her voice. "I'm sorry that you're too close minded to accept such situations."

"I can accept it Evelynn. I just know that in the end, he will die of old age, and you'll live on forever. There will be no comfort for you, nothing to ease the pain of his passing."

"Who said anything about me spending more time with him after this?!" Evelynn snapped.

Elise rose a brow with an annoyed look when Evelynn snatched the book from her hand with a lasher. The woman was in her demon shade and glaring at The Spider Queen.

"Aren't you the one in a relationship with a plant?" She retorted.

The Spider Queen growled, standing slightly with magic forming in her claws. "She's not just a PLANT." She snapped with the last word.

"Then perhaps James is not just a mortal man!" Evelynn replied. "He's special to me and I won't have someone like you lecture me on what I can do with my life!"

Before Elise could respond, Evelynn threw the book at her and bonked the woman's head. The impact knocked Elise off her feet and landing with a thud. Evelynn cackled and exited the kitchen to see James and also for her safety.

…

* * *

Evelynn stomped down the hallway, angered and frustrated by Elise's words. Who was she to tell her who she could like? She married a man for the sole purpose of manipulating him with her beauty for her own personal gain. Evelynn was a demon who fed on the pain of others, but even she wouldn't stoop that low. Maybe.

Upon reaching the bathroom, Evelynn heard James's voice again.

"_Regrets, I've had a few_

_But then again, too few to mention_

_I did what I had to do_

_And saw it through without exemption."_

She sighed with content and pleasure at the sound of his voice. If angels could sing, he'd be one. Evelynn felt the need of it being sensual grow inside her, assuming James would accept this. Opening the door, the succubus felt the steam in the air immediately. The mirror was fogged up and a pair of boxers were seen on the floor. James must've put his armor elsewhere.

"_For what is a man, what has he got_

_If not himself, then he has naught_

Upon hearing this Evelynn mewled pitifully as his voice made her daydream again. She slumped against the walls, eyes closed with an open grin as she ran her hands on her curves.

_To say the things he truly feels_

_And not the words of one who… _Evelynn?"

Snapping out of her daydream yet again, the woman opened her eyes to see James looking at her, his head peeking slightly outside the glass panes. This time Evelynn was speechless. She'd seen him naked the day before but that's when she had the intention to seduce him. Seeing him without a lustful motive left her with an agape mouth.

"_Oh hi James, I was wondering if I could join you in the shower in hopes that you'd fuck me again! Oh you think that's weird? Well it probably is!" _Evelynn thought to herself.

James's appearance was coated with a few drops of body wash he missed when washing it off. His taper faded hair hung smoothly with water dripping. The man got no response from Evelynn causing him to snort. He wasn't sure why he was going to do it, but he reached out to take her hand.

"Evelynn." He said bringing her voice back finally. "Do you want to… oh geez, join… me?"

Despite the effort he took to say it, the woman felt her heart beat faster at the words. Immediately she swiped off James's hand and quickly ran into the shower with him. James paced back to avoid contacting her body which Evelynn understood. The woman moaned pleasurably as the water soothed her muscles and washed off the little amounts of blood and dirt that managed to stick to her.

"So what're you doing in here?" James asked.

"Um…" Evelynn tried to come up with something that wouldn't make him uncomfortable. "…I wanted to uh, apologise for yesterday mornings advancements. It wasn't… very nice of me."

"Aren't you suppose to be, you know, entirely unkind?"

Evelynn pouted at him causing James to actually feel guilty, though only for a second. He smirked at her, admiring her features without worrying about her pouncing him.

"Is that really why you're in here?" He chuckled.

The woman laughed while reaching for the body wash and applying it to her body. James averted his gaze which made Evelynn frown, but also admire his humbleness. When washing it off, she got a bit closer to him.

"James… listen." She said in a serious tone.

The man leaned closer to listen, a bit eager to hear Evelynn's words surprisingly.

"For what it's worth, I… I'm sorry about the events that lead to this. Stalking you, bringing you here, forcing you to… fuck me." She said. "You saved us last night."

James was surprised at the words of Evelynn and looked at her in bewilderment. Not long ago she'd been stalking him like the predator she was. He wondered why she was acting a bit shy, though given who Evelynn was, this was probably the first time she'd done this and it wasn't half bad. A bit of an odd setting to say such words, but it was her after all.

"Well Evelynn… that's okay." He said. "I still don't know why you're choosing to do this in the shower, let alone even doing it in the first place. But don't worry, water under the bridge."

She raised a clawed finger to provide an explanation, but nothing came out. Her heart almost melted when James extended his hand. Evelynn moved to shake it, but stopped herself, almost like she was afraid of shaking it. James lightly moved his hand to give her the hint and eventually she hesitantly took it. They shook hands again with Evelynn not pulling him closer to her, despite the urge to do so.

"Your lover is certainly a lucky woman." She said smiling. _"Shit why did I say that?!"_

As she expected after realizing it, James's smile went away. He'd been in a much happier mood this morning that he forgot about Jade. The Commander quickly bolted out of the shower, leaving Evelynn who sighed with disappointment as he quickly dried himself and put on his boxers, the water staining it from the half-assed drying. Soon he left the bathroom with Evelynn pressing her head against the tiled wall.

"You fucking idiot! Why did you say that?! Stupid! Stupid fucking bitch!" She mumbled to herself.

…

* * *

"Elise! Elise!" James called out as he ran into the kitchen seeing The Spider Queen still sitting at the table, though she wasn't looking at him and was scowling, one of her hands clenched with a wine glass in another. The woman slowly turned to the man.

"Yes?"

"I need you to teleport me to Noxus!" He said with a few heavy breathes.

"I beg your pardon?" She replied.

"Did I stutter? Teleport me back to Noxus!" James said with frustration. "I need to see Jade!"

Elise scoffed at this and took a sip from her drink. She gurgled it around in her mouth before swallowing. The woman leaned forward in a business like manner, smiling at the man with a tilted head. "You forgot to say please."

James mumbled under his breath before saying the magic word. Elise cackled at this.

"Sorry, I can't."

"Excuse me?"

Giving him a murderous glare, Elise stood up and paced to James whose head backed up, but he stood his ground.

"I'm not sure if you remember, _Commander_." She snapped with a hint of venom. "Culda has operatives overseeing the whole empire of Noxus. The second you teleport in, she'd apprehend you and that'd be it."

James groaned as he had forgotten about those details. Shoulders slumped down, he apologised to Elise who happily smiled at him after giving her affirmation she was correct. After putting that scenario aside, The Spider Queen went back to her seat, James sitting across.

"Besides, I'm sure your lover is safe and sound. Swain wouldn't let anything happen to those close to his presumed dead Commander James Holland." She said.

She expected him to have a hard time believing this and to an extent he did, but when a person hears what they want to hear in situations that make them anxious, they'll believe anything.

"You're sure of this?" James asked suspiciously.

"Of course I am! I'm a member of The Black Rose! We see everything in Noxus!" Elise exclaimed gleefully as she lied. "Trust me, she's alive!"

"Hmm. You see everything, yet you let Culda get the better of you." James muttered. Elise ignored this.

"I think you need to relax Commander. You're so tense and serious."

"Tends to happen when you're in my current position."

"Whatever. It's time you drop the whole serious act and have some fun." Elise said before seeing Evelynn walk back into the kitchen. Meeting her gaze and reconsidering her words from earlier, The Spider Queen smiled. "Both of you."

"What?" James asked.

Elise didn't reply. She got up from her chair and as she walked by James, she grabbed his ear with her hand and pulled on it.

"HEYAHHH!"

Before Evelynn could react, she felt her ear get grabbed by Elise too and she yelped at the feeling. The Spider Queen laughed as she pulled both of them down the hall by their ears.

"You two are in luck! Today is the annual Blood Moon Festival in Ionia. It's a time of celebration, festivities, meals, and lots of drinks!" She said gleefully. "Evelynn, you could consider this to be a reward for The Commander after his actions last night! You two can eat, drink, laugh, and even kiss!" The Spider Queen continued on through the protests and cursing from both figures.

"Why are you holding us-ow! BY THE EARS?!" James said.

"How else would you be willing to listen to me? You'd probably leave after the first sentence!" Elise said.

He had to agree with her on that.

"Besides, you're not going to the festival in that! At least not with it's color."

The Spider Queen finally released her grip with both people grasping their ears in pain. Elise shrugged off the glares and strutted to the closet of her bedroom. James rubbed his ear as he stood by Evelynn who briefly looked at him.

"Evelynn, put this on!" Elise said with little warning as she tossed out some clothing.

The Agony's Embrace scoffed at this, but after giving it some consideration, the thought of attending a Blood Moon Festival for reasons other than its name with a man she really liked sounded like fun. The succubus got dressed, changing her appearance along the way.

James's mouth couldn't stop himself from being surprised by the woman. To start off, her skin was white again like the day before. Some of her white hair was in a bun held by chopsticks, the rest hanging over her shoulders with the bangs being a dark pink. Her eyes were pink and her legs appeared to have some purple shadows covering them as a replacement for legwear. Topping it off, her clothing was a red and white kimono with a mask hanging down the middle. Evelynn put her index finger on her lip, smiling mischievously as she knew James was amazed by this look.

"How do I look love?" She asked.

"Uhhhh…" James droned on.

His words were interrupted by a snap of fingers. He noticed Evelynn's eyes dart up and down with amazement. James looked down, seeing that his once black and damaged armor was now a mixture of red, white, and purple. Despite the silky look it had, James's armor still had the same toughness as before and it'd been strangely repaired.

"Oh la la!" Evelynn said giggling.

James peeked over at his shoulders to see the Noxian symbol had been replaced by a Blood Moon mask. He had to admit that it looked good.

"I kind of like this appearance over the other one." James said as he kept observing.

"You two look great! You'll blend right in with the festival!" Elise said showing unusual excitement. "Assuming, you'll attend."

Evelynn looked at James with a tilted head, giving him a pitiful begging look. James chuckled before letting out a sigh.

"Sure, why not? Sounds like fun, particularly the drinking." He said. Evelynn grinned at him.

"Wonderful then off you go!" Elise said pushing both of them with surprising strength. James tried to protest but Elise didn't let him speak. "Oh come now, get tipsy! Drink! Eat! Do whatever, now, now, now!"

The two of them were pushed out of the mansion with Elise locking the door afterwards leaving James and Evelynn alone. Straightening his posture, the man looked to the village. Smirking under his mask, The Commander took Evelynn's hand.

"James?" She cooed.

"Come on." He said gesturing to the lively village. "Let's make this a night to remember."

Her heart almost melted and James to catch her as she fell down.

"_Why am I like this?"_ She thought to herself.

"Come on, up you get." James said laughing heartily.

The Commander wasn't sure why he was doing it, but he couldn't resist either. He lifted Evelynn up and she was sitting on his shoulders with his hands holding her legs to prevent her from falling off. Evelynn laughed at this and accepted this.

"Onward! Take me to The Blood Moon Festival!" She commanded.

"_What the hell are you doing James? _The man wondered. _"You know what this woman, or thing, is! Why are you being so kind when she kidnapped you and tried to kill you?! She took you away from Noxus! Away from your life! Away from Jade! And yet here you are, putting her on your shoulders and letting her ride?!"_

Evelynn couldn't stop smiling down at James.

"_You're a cold blooded predator Evelynn. That's all you'll ever be! You'll never be in love, you only tear out hearts and suck the juicy, delicious blood from them!" _She thought. _"And yet… I feel… warm… secure… complete… when with James."_

…

* * *

"About Goddamn time those two left!" Elise said with a sigh. "I need some leisure time."

The Spider Queen slumped down in the living room, a bottle of wine in her hand as she got comfortable.

A few hours passed before Elise realised that the sun was setting and dusk was in effect. She wondered how James and Evelyn were doing at the Blood Moon festival. Her thoughts were cut short by a knock at the door. The Spider Queen tensed up, preparing some dark magic. Who would come all the way out here to this mansion during this time? Could it be James and Evelynn returning early?

Elise summoned a spiderling outside of the mansion, soon establishing a connection with it. Through her childs vision, Elise saw two women outside of the door.

"_Are you sure anyone is home?" The woman in red asked. "This place seems deserted."_

"_I am not certain if anyone does live here, but the presence of dark magic is strong here." The other woman replied._

She placed her fingers on her forehead, giving the hint she was sensing something else. Soon she turned into the direction of Elise's spiderling, the other woman looking too.

"_There."_

Elise broke the connection and snapped her fingers. The spiderling disappeared in a puff and she tensed up. Soon the knocks became violent slams, most likely the women trying to break the door down. Elise stumbled around in slight panic. She didn't think her dark magic could be traced so she never bothered to cover it up. The Spider Queen focused her mind, mumbling a few words and casting a common spell that echoed through the mansion, erasing all traces of her dark magic. She didn't expect it to drive the intruders away, but it would make her seem less guilty.

Amazingly the banging stopped. Elise cautiously pressed her ear against the door to hear the women's voices.

"_The presence is gone." _One of them said.

"_Seems a bit suspicious don't you think?"_

"_Never said it wasn't! We should look arou- Wait!"_

Elise listened closely.

"_I am picking up a more significant presence from afar! From… From the village!"_

Silence happened. Elise's eyes soon widened with alarm.

"_They're at the Blood Moon Festival…"_

"Fuck!" Elise whispered to herself.

"_We have to move, now!"_

The sounds of footsteps were soon heard and then stopped abruptly. Elise looked out the window to see the two women riding on some kind of platform towards the village. The Spider Queen slammed the wall in frustration.

"Just perfect!" She growled. "How could I have been so stupid?!"

Elise knew that the presence they were detecting was the magic she used on James's suit to make its appearance alter. The Spider Queen snapped her fingers, her hair changing to silver and the outfit to a red dress.

"So much for a night of fun and drinks." She said to herself.

Opening the door, Elise started to sprint towards the village as teleporting there would only attract more attention from these two women.

…

* * *

"As I suspected." A feminine voice said as she watched Elise run out the mansion.

Syndra's sphere recalled to her temple. She'd seen enough. The Sovereign focused her mind again, picking up the strong presence from the village where James was.

"_**Imprisoned no longer."**_

She gathered up her spheres again, soon floating out of her temple and to the Blood Moon Festival. Syndra was on the hunt for James Holland.

…

* * *

James couldn't imagine himself in this light, not after what happened not long ago. He was having fun with the woman who stole him from Noxus in his enemies' territory. Lamps were lit up along the streets of the village as night fell upon the land, making the decorations stand out more. James and Evelynn continued to hold hands despite not knowing why they continued to do so. It made her smile at him knowing he was open to that.

The pair traversed all around the place, stopping briefly to see little shows from those dressed in masks. They came upon a theatrical performance being performed by two people. The performers were Shen, The Eye of Twilight and Akali, The Fist of Shadow, both dressed in appropriate clothing for the event.

"This is certainly… interesting." Evelynn said watching. "Do you know anything about it James?"

Being an inventor in his spare time, James didn't care much for the history of other countries. However, when the Invasion of Ionia started, he knew that eventually he'd be taking part in some parts of it. The man studied the history of Ionia, learning of it's legends and tales. The Blood Moon Festival was a significant celebration for the people.

"They're performing the Tale of the ancient Ionian warrior, Reina." James said.

Evelynn looked up with interest, instantly being drawn by his voice that took a more narrative turn.

"The warrior was hunted by an evil spirit. I do not know it's name, but it was adorned with a fearsome mask."

The woman noticed Akali fleeing in terror from Shen. He had a blade armed as he pursued her relentlessly. James's narration soon created a scene inside her mind.

"_For years and years, Reina fled from the spirit through the land of Ionia, but it always found her no matter what. The girl was tormented day and night as she did her best to flee."_

James's words were creating the very actions described in her head.

"_Then finally, after years of running, she chose to stand her ground. Reina donned herself in red armor and her own mask, ready to face the one she'd been running from for so long."_

Evelynn saw Akali enter a stance and Shen preparing to lunge forward. They charged eachother as James kept speaking.

"_But when she turned to face it…"_

As the two were about to spar, Shen suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving only Akali on the stage. The audience gasped.

"…_it disappeared. The spirit never came again. It'd been frightened away by her newfound strength and will." _James said finishing.

The ninja looked to the onlookers who applauded at the performance. Shen soon appeared beside her and they both took a bow. Evelynn was mesmerized not by the act, but by James choosing to narrate in perfect synchronization. Looking at him, the woman smiled.

"I guess you're not entirely brawn over brains love." She giggled.

James snorted and took her hand again. Evelynn gladly followed James as he led her further into the festival. The two of them laughed and were enjoying themselves. Eventually James chose to remove the top half of the helmet so he wouldn't remember this evening as just him in a mask. After traversing deeper into the village with a few more shows and laughs, the two of them found themselves seated in what seemed to be a two storey restaurant. They were sitting across from each other at a table on an outside balcony.

"And what can I get for you two lovebirds tonight?" The waitress asked.

James ignored the last couple words, clearing his throat. "Do you have anything here that's spicy?"

"Oh of course we do!" The waitress said clapping her hands together gleefully. "There's a wide variety of it, but my personal favourite is chicken fried rice mixed with chicken with black bean sauce. It comes with green peppers and your own bottle of spice!"

James looked at Evelynn before looking back to the waitress. "Sounds good to me, I'll have that!"

"Make it two." Evelynn said receiving a smile from James.

"Excellent choices you two!" She said jotting it down. "And to drink?"

This time Evelynn spoke. "A Herbal Lager."

"Make it two." James said switching the roles around.

"Wonderful!" The waitress said. "The food should be ready in ten minutes and your drinks will be here soon."

The two of them chose to just keep quiet until the drinks came. Evelynn felt unusually more comfortable with him looking at her with the woman doing the same. When the drinks came, Evelynn and James clinked them together and took a sip.

"Mmm, delicious." James said placing his down.

"Alright, we're here, we've had a drink and now we're drunk!" Evelynn said throwing her arms up in the air.

"Are you really that much of a lightweight?" James snickered.

"Ahahaha, no!" Evelynn said with anger in the last word. "I guess I'm just so happy and excited right now. In all my years of living as an immortal demon, I never once thought to attend festivals like these! I'm having fun!"

"Really?" He asked with disbelief. "The celebration titled "**Blood Moon" **never once caught your attention?"

"Well of course it did!" Evelynn retorted. "But I was so disappointed that there was very little actual blood!"

"I take it you improvised on that?"

"Don't ask stupid questions."

James laughed at the reply, soon taking another sip of his drink. The effects slowly took over his body, but he wasn't a lightweight. The man turned to the edge of the balcony, seeing a large platform with a circular ring in the middle. Numerous people were going towards the stage.

"Wonder what's going on over there?"

"That's the annual Blood Moon Duel!" The waitresses voice said.

She had returned with their meals and placed them in front of both.

"Blood Moon Duel?" James asked.

"Oh yes! It's a very, very exciting and entertaining event! People have the chance to prove their strength in combat against Jax, The Grandmaster at Arms. Nobody has ever beaten him, but every year, there are a few who almost come close."

"Oooh, that sounds like it could be fun to watch." Evelynn said suggestively.

"Why don't you give it a go? You look like you could hold your own!" The waitress said referring to James.

He let out a forced chuckle before putting both his hands up to signal that he'd pass. James thanked her and the waitress hoped they would enjoy the food.

The food was cooked to near perfection and had the right amount of spice added to it much to James's delight. As they ate and drank, Evelynn and James continued to talk and laugh about various subjects, merely small talk. After the waitress supplied them with drinks for the third time, the alcohol was taking its effect when either person laughed rather loudly and hysterically.

They finally finished their meal, the plates empty with both leaning back, stretching with groans of satisfaction.

"That was absolutely exquisite!" Evelynn said smiling.

"I was optimistic about Ionian food, but it really was delicious." James said.

The mention of that sparked a question inside Evelynn's mind. She'd been wanting to ask James about his life back in Noxus. The life she'd taken away from him, but seemed like she'd be giving it back. The Agony's Embrace was curious.

"Hey James, love?" She asked.

"Do you have a question?" He asked leaning closer with a silly smile. The alcohol was making him tipsy.

"Yes… I do actually." Evelynn said slightly blushing. She looked away from him like she was afraid to look him in the eyes when asking him this question. "If you don't mind me asking, what was it like? Being a Nox- oh oops! Well, being a Commander in the military?"

James was silent. It was like he was choosing whether to answer this question or not. Taking another gulp of his drink, The Commander spoke.

"Well Evelynn… it's a mixed bag when you're in a position such as mine." James began. "To some you're seen as a war hero, a true inspiration for other soldiers. To others, you're just a sheep who blindly follows the orders of his master. Most people view me as a hero of the empire. They consider my actions to be heroic and admirable. I personally don't, I view them as necessity."

"What made you join the military in the first place?" Evelynn asked.

"I grew up in Zaun. Didn't really have a family. My parents were always out working, doing research. They cared about it more than they cared for me." James said a bit grimly. Evelynn pouted at this.

"I chose to follow in their footsteps, to an extent. By the time I was 17, I took off from home, not even bothering to say goodbye, except to my friend Singed who was more of a family to me than my parents. Seeing as the relations between Noxus and Zaun were pretty neutral, I figured I'd move there. After all, in Noxus, any citizen could rise to power regardless of race, gender, or social standing. Strength is all that mattered."

Evelynn leaned closure. She was fascinated by this.

"A military life can attract young people for many reasons. Duty, comradeship, purpose, the opportunity to test life to the limits, to learn a trade, escape from home, adventure, even patriotism. However, for the ones who lacked a caring home, it provides family, with all the security and meaning that goes with it. I used to crave the approval, attention, and praise from the higher ups of the army. Obviously Swain took interest in me." James explained.

"And that weapon with the knife in it, you created that? All by yourself?"

"Yep!" He said. "Along with this armour as well. It's saved me more times than I can count on the battlefield."

"Yet it couldn't save you from me." Evelynn purred.

James laughed and shrugged in agreement. "I suppose so."

"Has there ever been a moment that made you question your loyalty and actions in the military despite your professional position?"

Again, James stayed silent. This time he gave her a grim look making the woman feel worried that she'd touched on a personal issue he had. Evelynn quickly apologised, but James cut her off.

"No, no, it's fine. It's good to talk about this." He said.

The Commander gulped down the reminder of his drink, belching slightly making Evelynn coolly giggle.

"People think that just because you're in such a high position, they think you're paid to ignore the flaws of your government. To an extent some are, but I am not one of them." He said coldly. "Noxus is certainly corrupt. Hell, all the states in the world have at least some corruption in them, even Demacia."

James took a deep breath.

"I have grown a sense of distrust for the empire despite my loyalty, but didn't let that get in the way of my duties as a soldier and as a Commander of The Crimson Elite. I continued to take orders regardless of the suspicious nature behind the cause. This Invasion of Ionia I can understand, but not everything is simple."

Evelynn took his hand, making James meet her feline eyes. She was concerned.

"You don't have to say anymore love."

"I feel that I should. I feel that I must." James said.

The woman bit her lip before gesturing him to continue.

"My loyalty was put to the test when I was dispatched to aid some soldiers in a southern border by Demacia." James said, his throat getting sore and making it harder to speak. "The position was attacked by the Demacians. Noxus ordered all soldiers to hold the position no matter the cost. For them, it was a suicide mission, being heavily outnumbered and their supplies dwindling. They entrenched themselves within the structure, but were quickly besieged by the enemy with little to no hope of escaping." James said grimly. "I got there right before it fell, exfiltration mission. The few dozen soldiers trapped inside."

"So how'd you get them out?" Evelynn asked.

James's eyes briefly met hers again with a cold glare.

"I didn't." He said coldly. "No matter how hard you fight, you can't save them all. So many good soldiers, lost, all because of the orders of the old and bitter. I know the difference between lives being lost for a good cause and lives being thrown away for no reason."

Evelynn's mouth went agape with a sad look. She loved pain, death, and agony, but hearing about this from James made her feel sad. He was in a vulnerable position right now and she wanted to comfort him.

"James…" She cooed.

He looked at her. The man took no action when Evelynn leaned over the table slightly, her hands out to give her more upper support. James continued to stay still as Evelynn's mouth got closer to his. He closed his eyes. His mind wanted to speak up, but his body didn't get the message.

"_Kiss him. Kiss him now."_ Evelynn thought.

As she got closer, Evelynn closed her eyes, pursing her lips. Closer, and closer, and closer she got.

A smooch was heard and Evelynn pulled back slowly. Both their eyes opened, meeting gazes once more.

James's cheek had a lipstick mark on it. He didn't bother touching it. Evelynn furiously blushed as James kept looking at her. Then a little smile formed around his lips. It showed appreciation and comfort. Evelynn did the same.

The man stood up from his seat, walking over to the woman who stood from hers, but nothing more. James exhaled a sigh of relief, putting his hand on her shoulders. Then without warning, he brought her in for a tight hug. Evelynn whimpered slightly at the feeling, but was loving every moment of it.

"_Why didn't you kiss him?! He was so vulnerable!" _She thought.

The two of them held that for a long time, neither wanting to let go. Eventually, some onlookers (including their waitress) gave some awes and approvals making James chuckle quietly. Breaking it, their eyes met once more.

"Thank you Evelynn. I uh… I really appreciate that." He said smiling.

"I'm happy to be of service James." She said. "I like being around you. I like… doing things with you other than purely killing."

James laughed at the last sentence with Evelynn soon joining in. They said nothing else as they walked to the edge of the balcony, looking out at the lively festival.

"James?" Evelynn asked. "I was thinking… after this whole… crusade I guess, with Culda is finished, would you be interested in maybe… oh forget it, there's no way you'd go for it."

"No, no!" James said. "You can tell me."

Evelynn sighed. "Would you maybe be interested in…"

"**WHO WANTS A PIECE OF THE CHAMP?!"**

The deep and booming voice drew both James and Evelynn's attention to the platform. A round of cheers and applause came from the large crowd that gathered in front. On the stage, a figure was seen. He had on circular hat, was donned in a mixture or blue and white robes with six green, glowing hues. In his hand was a double sided halberd.

Jax, The Grandmaster at Arms.

"Welcome everyone to the annual Blood Moon Duel!" A speaker said. "Every year, we offer the chance for people to show their strength in combat! Jax The Grandmaster has never been defeated, but tonight, that thought may become a reality!"

"Bring it on!" Jax said doing a pose with his weapon.

"Let us bring in the first contender!" The announcer said receiving a cheer from the crowd.

James and Evelynn heard some heavy doors open. Moving their eyes to the direction of the sound, they saw the first contestant.

It was a hooded figure, dressed in green pants with a blue shirt. They had on white armor around the legs, arms, and chest. James observed them. Then, he saw the weapon.

"What the hell?"

The person seemed to have a broken blade. Despite the appearance, James recognised it. The blade was unique, a black stone rune sword forged and enchanted with Noxian sorcery. He only knew one person with such a weapon.

**Riven.**

James started to pant in heavy tones as he leaned closer. After closer inspection, he knew for certain that it was Riven's blade.

"_Why is it broken? Why isn't it in the hands of Riven?"_ He thought. _"She would never break her own blade."_ His hands clenched the balcony, soon splintering the wood as his teeth gritted. _"You killed her. You fucking killed her and stole her blade."_

Evelynn took notice of James's sudden mood change and was concerned.

"James? Is everything okay?"

His sharps breaths made The Agony's Embrace feel rare fear. James was fueled with rage right now, believing that his best friend had been killed in action. As badly as he wanted to confront them, doing so in such a crowded place would draw unwanted attention. He'd have to wait until the fight was over.

Down below, the hooded figure stopped walking momentarily. Riven squinted her red eyes, soon glaring ahead. It's like she felt a presence watching over her.

The Exile slowly turned her head, looking upward to see a man in unique armor looking at her. She couldn't make out his face and he couldn't make out hers. Riven scowled at him and pressed onward to the platform where Jax was ready to fight her.


	13. Reunion

Riven still had her blade holstered on her back as she walked onto the dueling platform. Jax had his weapon at his side, waiting respectively for his opponent to draw theirs first. The crowd cheered as the two fighters faced one another, Riven glaring under her hood with Jax's expressions being concealed by his mask.

"You know the rules! The first one to get knocked out of the circle or fall unconscious loses!" The announcer said.

The Exile drew her broken blade, holding it in a firm grip with both hands. Jax spun his weapon in his hands before doing a combat ready pose with the top aiming at the ground.

The two of them stared each other down, Jax's green hues meeting Riven's red pupils. He made no comment on the state of her weapon being broken.

"Bring it on." He said in his deep voice.

Riven lunged forward, meeting Jax in the middle of the platform and the fight was on. The two of them swung their weapons at each other. Riven found that her strikes were being blocked and deflected by Jax whose attacks were receiving the same treatment. The spectator's cheers grew louder as the fighting became more intense.

James was watching, his arms crossed with a raised brow of the fighter with the broken blade. Evelynn's concern for him had been forgotten as she watched with her chin resting on her hands, smiling at the duel. She was hoping there'd be a mess to clean up afterwards.

After more blocks, Riven tried something different. She jumped a little over Jax, swiping her blade at him again, but the Grandmaster easily dodged it. Jax swung his weapon at Riven's head. She reeled back, avoiding the strike with the force from the swing blowing her hair slightly. The Exile took in the situation and found herself at a disadvantage as Jax laughed at the triumphant move.

Riven swiped her blade across, Jax jumping to avoid it. He used his weapon to block Riven's attempt to stab him and kicked her abdomen. Riven groaned at the pain but managed to duck Jax's next strike. With a yell, the girl shot her blade upward where it contacted the Grandmasters skin deep enough to give him a little cut. Jax entered a counter strike and blocked Riven's next few attacks. He brought the sharp end of his weapon down but Riven parred it.

However, Jax predicted this and swiftly hit Riven's stomach with his halberd and then uppercut it into her chin. The Exile was sent flying back in the air, but she landed in a wooden pillar and pushed herself off back at Jax.

Jax was forced to the ground but held off Riven's blade. He slid under her legs and entered a defensive stance to block her heavy blows. Riven lunged forward as Jax easily dodged it. She crouched down and looked back at him with a glare.

James growled at this. There was only one person who could do that. It was Riven, but he still couldn't believe this fighter was her. She'd never resort to such measures or break her unique weapon.

"Alright, you got some fight in you!" Jax said with a hint of respect. "You wanna go?!" He spun his weapon around again and strengthened his resolve. "It's on!"

Jax leaped into the air, his weapon reeled back as Riven prepared herself. She dodged his first strike, barely missed his second, but couldn't avoid his third. The Exile was stunned by the hit and opened her eyes to see the non-lethal end of Jax's weapon coming for her face. Riven was sent staggering by the blow, but still attempted to fight back. The Grandmaster was too quick for her and Riven was jabbed in the stomach again by his weapon. She gasped at the pain, but another swing came, and she was sent flying into the air, off the platform.

The audience chanted Jax's name as he put his weapon in a neutral stance. Riven's eyes were closed as she sored through the air, getting lower and lower to the ground which would signal her loss.

The Exile wasn't done yet.

"No more hesitation."

Riven landed on a post, crouching down before leaping into the air back towards the platform. Jax had let his guard down but heard a yell from his opponent. Riven unleashed a shockwave of blades from her weapon. Jax leaned back, barely dodging the lethal attack by less than an inch. The moment he stood up, Riven slashed his side.

Jax groaned in pain and swung his weapon in the spot Riven was only to see that she'd disappeared. He only got a glimpse of her next attack as she struck him across the chest. Jax staggered again but brought his weapon up and tried to stab Riven. This time she parred it and grabbed the halberd, wrenching it from her dazed opponent. Jax rolled across the platform, quickly getting up with his weapon laying on the ground.

He didn't know where Riven was, but he did hear light steps behind him.

"A moment of clarity."

Riven sent her blade at Jax's back. However, he quickly moved to the left and The Exile missed her target. She didn't anticipate this, and her blade was grabbed by the hands of the Grandmaster.

"Now it's my turn!" Jax said.

He elbowed Riven's ribcage and stunned her. Jax grabbed the middle of the large blade and used all his strength to yank it out of Riven's hand. She felt herself get hit harshly on the side and went stumbling to the end of the platform. Riven didn't have the chance to react when Jax threw the blade at her.

Thankfully the grip of the blade was what hit her, and The Exile was knocked off the platform, landing on the ground with a groan. The crowd cheered for Jax's victory and he laughed heartily at this. Riven stood up, glaring at Jax with a scowl as she holstered her blade on her back.

"Nice try kid." Jax said. "Here."

Riven's scowl remained as Jax tossed her a bag. The look abruptly became a surprised expression when she realized it was 5000 gold.

"But… I didn't win."

"You earned that. Almost beat me." Jax said before laughing again. He did another combat ready pose with his weapon. "Who's next?!"

Riven couldn't help but smile and gave a bow to The Grandmaster. The guards escorted her out of there and she ignored the numerous questions and praises the onlookers were giving her. Still, she felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.

But there was something causing an uneasy feeling in Riven as well. She looked up at the balcony again, still seeing the same man looking at her. Riven's fist clenched as she looked away.

"Well that was quite exciting!" Evelynn squealed. "Kind of disappointed there wasn't a lot of blood, but a girl can't always get what she wants."

The succubus waited for James's reply, but got nothing. Evelynn found that James was gone. She frantically looked around to finally see him pacing quickly out of the building. Cursing under her breath, Evelynn ran to catch up with him.

"You know how rude it is to ditch a lady like me?" She asked in a joking manner.

"I'm sorry, just got this little thing that's irritating me." James replied.

"Aww, my poor James." Evelynn said pouting before cackling. "What is it that's troubling you love?"

James chuckled with a jerk of his head. His eyes met hers. "That participant who fought against The Grandmaster. They have something that belonged to a good friend of mine." He said. "I have a few questions for them. I'll be needing your help."

The demonesses eyes lit up with excitement. Her moonlit skin turned back to that eerie blue, shadows moving to cover up the appropriate points. Her fangs visible before she closed her mouth, eyes turning to their original yellow that showed the hunger for agony. Evelynn put a clawed finger on her lip.

"A festival and a delicious dinner with a handsome Commander who's eager for another hunt? Is it my birthday?" Evelynn cackled.

Snorting at this, James swiftly took a knife from one of the tables, hiding it in his gloved hand. "I'll have some persuading to do, but after I've gotten what I need, they're all yours." He said before Evelynn could pout.

He received a toothy grin in response. "Oh, my James! What's gotten into you?!" She asked with a hint of arousal and shock. Before James could react, Evelynn enveloped him in her arms and they soon disappeared to another location.

…

* * *

"Everything is set and in position Culda." Minh said.

The woman was slumped against the doorway of the balcony. The rain in Noxus was still pouring with thunderclaps and lighting. Her face was stoic, and she blew a lock of her dark hair out of her emerald eyes. She exhaled.

"Splendid." Culda said. "It's time."

She heard The Captain sigh causing the woman to turn around, eyes wide with anticipation.

"Yes?"

"Once this is set in motion, there's no telling what The Black Rose will do to ensure you don't receive the title of The Grand General. You know that, right?" Minh asked.

Culda only laughed at his concern. "Please, what're they gonna do? Assassinate me? If they do that the whole city will be up in arms!"

"Perhaps you're not seeing something else. You need to start thinking about what you're doing to us. The Black Rose will resort to tactics that haven't been used in centuries." Minh said. "There may not be any wounds on your hands, but there may be blood of those loyal to you."

She scowled at him. "Well, that's something your leader will have to worry about, not you Captain." Culda snapped.

"Yes ma'am." Minh sighed.

The man went to a case, taking out Culda's modified Luden's Echo. He handed it to her and she smiled at it. The mage walked out to the balcony, gripping the staff with both hands.

"Hyzu. Sata. Luma!"

Culda slammed the staff onto the floor, a mass of purple matter launching into the sky. Once high enough, the matter exploded into smaller masses and flew in various directions. Culda's forces had set up numerous magical wards around the city and the Luden's Echo would activate them once it's spell made contact. This created an unseen magical barrier that engulfed the whole city. Usually this would render the use of magic obsolete, but Culda had specified these wards to make black magic, the most common type used by The Black Rose, useless. The woman smirked at her accomplishment.

"Soon 'The Black Rose' will no longer bloom. The spider bitch will perish along with it and James will finally learn what happens when you reject Culda Graves."

…

* * *

Elise was sprinting around the large village. The large numbers of people made reaching James and Evelynn much more difficult and she could barely keep track of where she was. The Spider Queen skidded to a stop when seeing the two women from earlier, Karma and Irelia, conversing with a few Ionian Soldiers, most likely to giving them the details of their target. Elise was running out of time.

…

* * *

Riven quickly paced but didn't run through the streets of the village. She looked back briefly to see the same man who was watching her fight Jax following her in a persistent and quick pace. She wondered if it was a secret Noxian spy, or if it was an Ionian who recognized her. Either scenario made sense to her slightly.

Then The Exile saw a… thing on a roof ahead of her. Glowing horns and tendrils with the same effect. It made eye contact with her, grinning widely and making Riven shudder. She was leaning towards a Noxian spy now. The girl began to run this time, the man doing the same as she pushed past numerous people. Riven snatched a bandana and wrapped it around her neck, covering her mouth to avoid being recognized even though it seemed futile at this point.

Riven turned to a dark alley, intending to lure her pursuers into an area that wasn't crowded. She reached a building that was five stories high. Riven kicked the door open, sprinting inside and up the stairs. The masked man reached the broken door, hearing her footsteps echo through the building as the shadowed figure silently landed next to him. She giggled, and the man motioned to follow him inside.

Finally reaching the top floor, Riven caught her breath from the sprinting and the presented situation. The building seemed to be deserted which was convenient for her, but also for her assailants.

The girl heard rapid footsteps from the stairs. Tensing up, Riven drew her blade and leaned over the railing.

Nothing was seen, Riven's heart rate increasing involuntarily.

Suddenly she felt a prickle at her neck. She turned around to see nothing again. A haunting cackle echoed through the dark halls. A line of sweat slid down Riven's head as she panted in uneven paces.

A quiet snicker sounded on the right before there was a hiss directly next to her ear. Riven spun, her sword raised to block the lashers that were hurtling towards her neck. She let out a yell as she forced the weapons off, glaring at the glowing golden eyes with the wide grin.

_"Everyone's pain tastes different. What flavor is yours?"_

Riven swung her blade but found the figure had disappeared. Both of Riven's shoulders suddenly felt abrupt pain as the figure was behind her, digging her talons into The Exile's shoulders. The girl screamed and reacted appropriately.

Raising her blade up, Riven let out a yell with the weapon releasing a burst of runic energy resulting in a stun for the creature. She grabbed one of its arms, yanking it off and throwing them into one of the walls.

The figure was surprised by this but showed an eager smile as they snickered malevolently, followed by a lick of its lips. They were back on their feet, glowing talons at the ready. Riven prepared to engage them with a tense glare.

Just then, Riven's neck was grabbed from behind and pulled back. The man in the unique armor was tightly gripping her with his hand.

"My, my, you do get around for a person wielding such a large weapon." He said with venom in his voice. A knife was inches from her neck, threatening to draw blood. "Drop it."

Riven inhaled sharply, causing the knife to come closer. The figure in front of her took a few steps forward, purring as they got dangerously close to Riven. She looked down at the weapon, forming a frown as she looked up to The Exile. She abruptly dug her claws into Riven's arm, causing her to wince and finally drop the blade.

"There we go, isn't that nice?" The man sneered. "Now you're gonna answer a few questions. Where did you get that blade from?"

Riven's eyes widened, believing that these were most likely Noxian spies. She refused to go back to the place she once called her home. The Exile elbowed the man in the stomach with all her strength, resulting in his grip loosening. Riven then sent a fist into the same area, the man clenching the point of impact with a gasp. The figure clawed Riven's back and she retaliated with a roundhouse kick. With the creature knocked down, Riven turned to be met with a fist from the man. He grabbed her collar and threw her into a room with numerous wooden cubicles.

He tried to kick her, but she grabbed his foot and spun with throwing him into one of the cubicles. Riven charged the man who slammed the door on her face but did little to stop her. The Exile swung again, and the man managed to counter it with slamming her into the wall. The door closed with the two of them exchanging blows until the man pushed Riven into the cubicles wall. The strength combined with the force and weight caused the wall to break with the two of them breaking through each consecutive cubicle until colliding with the rooms solid wall. The man pinned Riven against the wall, but she was quick enough to press her foot against it and pushed off with the two of them falling through the swinging doors of the cubicle and landing on the floor. Riven's hood came off along with her bandana and the man's helmet came off. They both stood up to continue fighting, but this time they had a view of the other ones' face. Rivens' fists unclenched and so did the man's.

The girls mouth went agape with a look of astonishment. Shoulders slumping as she took in the man's features. A scar on his chin, eyes different colored, and taper faded hair.

"James? J-James Holland?"

"Riven?"

The Exile's hostile attitude disappeared in a flash. Riven felt something flow through her body, both a feeling of relief, confusion, and sadness. She pointed a shaky hand at him. "You stay right there."

James rose a brow before feeling Riven cup his chin. The girl examined his face, tracing every feature and scratch making sure this wasn't some kind of mistake. Evelynn walked in, her brows raising at the sight of the mess and mouth agape at the two figures before her. Riven stopped tracing him. Her lips were quivering with tears clearly forming in her red pupils. She paced back a bit as James's mouth twitched with a little smile.

"JAMES! You're… you're alive!" She cried out as tears escaped her eyes.

The man seemed like he'd break down too as he paced towards Riven who leaped at him with open arms. The two of them fell to the floor, locked in an embracement of relief and tears. James thought Riven had been killed and Riven thought Culda had killed James yet here he was. All her current concerns had left her mind momentarily; she was overjoyed to know that he was alive. Evelynn wanted to speak as a minute ago these two had been violently fighting, now they seemed like they were best friends.

"I-I can't believe it's you." Riven said with her voice breaking. "I thought you were dead."

"A lot of people seem to think that. Sorry to disappoint." James said with a forced chuckle.

Riven ignored the rather cruel joke as she kept her grip on him, not wanting to let go. James stroked her white hair before gently kissing it. This made Evelynn feel a little jealous and she crossed her arms.

"So… James." She said with a hint of hostility. "Who is this woman?"

He only grunted in response, choosing to comfort the person he believed was dead. Eventually he spoke up.

"Evelynn… this is my good friend Riven." He said sitting up, finally parting from Riven who he helped up.

However, after helping her up, James felt himself get forced by Riven to face her again and he didn't have time to react when she smacked her lips into his. Evelynn's mouth gaped with her brows going higher than ever before. Riven finally parted the kiss, staring at James with a loving smile as they both panted.

"Sorry… I just wanted to show you how happy I was to see you again." She said with a blush.

James couldn't help but chuckle. "Jade's not gonna be too happy to hear about that."

Riven's smile disappeared at those words. How could she tell James that Jade was dead? That it was Culda who was responsible and had her men do whatever they wanted to the helpless girl? She gulped at this, her throat becoming very sore.

"What happened? How did you survive?" Riven asked.

He sighed before explaining. "After you all went through the portal, Culda chose to stab me with her staff."

The Exile's fist clenched, teeth gritting.

"She nearly killed me, but… luckily I suppose?" He said unsure of how to say this. "Evelynn rescued me I guess, kicking Culda into the portal and then got me out of there. Guess I'd be dead if it wasn't for her."

Evelynn only smirked with a head gesture before returning to a neutral look. Riven eyed her suspiciously, taking in her appearance. The Agony's embrace returned the same look. Riven remembered what Evelynn said to her during their tussle in the hallway. Something about pain. The woman was beautiful, but certainly wasn't human, not entirely. Widening her eyes, Riven reached her conclusion.

"She's a succubus. She didn't rescue you… she abducted you." Riven's voice had a tone of hostility and warning.

Evelynn's eyes lit up with excitement and she gave Riven a wicked grin. The lashers slowly moved about which only added a deadlier look to the succubus. "Oh, did I steal your boy-toy?" She said in a sadistic tone.

The Exile gripped her blade, not breaking her stare from Evelynn.

"Riven…" James warned.

"Did she hurt you?" Riven asked.

James was cut off by Evelynn who licked her lips before speaking.

"Oh no love! Quite the opposite! In fact, he actually hurt me!" Evelynn said with a hint of mockery. "He spanked me again and again as he fucked me like no other man had before! Oh, he was so big!"

Riven gritted her teeth before attempting to lunge at Evelynn who joyfully did the same. James stopped the two from fighting, though he had to restrain Riven instead.

"That's enough you two!" He said clearly annoyed. Evelynn laughed madly at The Exile's temper before James shot her a glare. The succubus immediately stopped, running a clawed hand down her cheek before giving James a look that told him she was sorry. Sighing with relief, James turned to Riven. "So Riven, how did you end up here?"

"Was it consensual?" Riven asked.

"What?"

"You know, the…"

"Oh, come on!" James said rolling his eyes. "No, it wasn't."

This made Riven glare at Evelynn who only smirked back. The succubus blew her a kiss and James gave her a deathly glare. He asked Riven the question again. Her stomach churned before finally speaking.

…

* * *

Elise was tired and exhausted from running all around the place, attempting to find Evelynn and James before Irelia did. The Spider Queen would risk drawing attention and launched thing strands form her hand to rope herself up onto a nearby building. She focused her mind, trying to locate the spell of James's armor.

Eventually she established a firm connection. She looked to her left, seeing a five-story building and sensing the presence inside. Unfortunately, down below was Irelia and Karma making their way to the building. Elise bit her lower lip and made haste.

…

* * *

"Vile scum!" James said slamming his fist against the wall. "How could they do such a thing?!"

Riven had explained to him her journey into exile. The desperate and bitter engagement with her unit against overwhelming odds. The bombardment of lethal chemicals from Noxus against their own soldiers.

"I don't… I don't know." Riven said shuddering. "They stooped to such low and vile tactics, I just… I just couldn't bring myself to continue fighting for them. So, I broke my blade, to cut all ties with the past." She continued grimly. "You must think I'm a coward or a deserter."

Riven heard James snort and he wrapped one arm around her to pull her closer. She smiled at him.

"You must be kidding about me thinking that way." He said smirking. "I don't understand how such an action could exist. I had my suspicions of Swain and the government. Perhaps he gave the order, perhaps he didn't, but this action wasn't just defeating a foe with a nations strength, it was a pointless slaughter with the lives of loyal soldiers lost."

Riven cooed at him, tilting her head. She attempted to kiss him again, but this time he leaned his head to avoid it. The Exile pouted with a silly smile while Evelynn growled under her throat, arms crossed. Riven snorted at her reaction.

"Once was quite enough." James said getting up. "When I return to Noxus, I'm gonna have a little talk with Swain. Of course, after I see Jade and deal with Culda."

"What?! You-You're going back there?" Riven asked.

"Yes." James replied. "I have to stop Culda before she takes over as The Grand General and expose her true self to the populace. Evelynn here has been helping me. Which reminds me. Riven, how is Jade? Did she take the news of my death… okay I guess? She didn't… do anything drastic right?" He asked concerned.

Riven blinked a few times as her throat swelled up with anxiety. She didn't know how to break it. "James, Jade is…" Her voice broke, her eyes not meeting his. "…dead."

The Commander's eyes squinted, his posture becoming a bit hunch as he leaned closer to his friend. Evelynn silently gasped, showing an expression of puzzlement. James's eyes looked down as he broke down the words Riven just said.

"What?" He said.

Tears came from Riven again, her breathing becoming uneven. "She's dead. Murdered… by Culda and her guards…"

The reality kicked into James. The words Germez told him the night before were true. Jade had been brutally murdered by Culda along with allowing her guards to have their way with her. The man inhaled sharply, a stern look as he bit his lips and tilted his head up to avoid letting the two women see his vulnerable state. Then the state of sadness turned into a state of rage. James's fists clenched with the arms shaking.

Absolute silence happened.

James sat down at a nearby table, his left hand laying on the edge of it with his right shoulder slumped. He blankly looked ahead, head tilted down. He said nothing else which made the situation unnerving for even Evelynn. She wanted to speak, she wanted to comfort him. The succubus knew that she was responsible for this. She stalked James, took him from Noxus, from his lover, and held him as her prisoner for nearly two weeks. If she said anything, Evelynn felt like James would lash at her, maybe even kill her. A sound was heard that grew louder each second. James was twisting a piece of the table, splintering the wood while his mouth formed a scowl.

With an angry yell, he punched the wall with enough strength to make it crack and sent a few splinters of wood flying with a hole left from the impact. James was panting heavily, fists clenched. The Exile hesitantly approached him, but his lost his temper.

"Dammit! God fucking dammit! I've lost her!" James yelled weakly hitting the wall. "Arrraagh! FUCK!"

"James.

"JUST…" He almost snapped before managing to contain his temper again. "…I need a minute alone. Alright?"

A familiar voice interrupted them.

"Evelynn? James?"

The three of them saw a figure pass by the room with it quickly pacing back to see the trio. It was Elise. She grinned widely for a change after finally finding them though she was suspicious of the white-haired girl.

"Thank Vilemaw you're alright!" She said. "Uh, who's uh, who's she?"

"Riven." James snapped standing up. "My friend."

"Splendid then!" Elise said showing no interest. "Listen we have to leave, now. Two Ionians have picked up my use of magic and they're tracking down the one I've casted on your armor."

James scoffed at this. He paced to the door that Elise intended to leave through and reached his hand out to slam it shut. He leaned against it, tilting his head with that menacing glare at The Spider Queen who raised a brow.

"No let's stay." He said bluntly.

Without thinking, James brought the knife out again and brought it to Elise's throat. Evelynn stood defiantly while Riven didn't do anything, though she was worried.

"James what're you doing?!" Evelynn asked.

"You lied to me." He said with a broken voice. She noticed a few tears forming in his eyes. "You told me that Jade was alive."

"Who's Jade?" Elise asked with a snort.

The Spider Queen yelled when James sent a heavy blow into her abdomen. She lost her posture, but James forced her against the wall.

"She was my lover, and I've just learned that she's dead." He said coldly. "If you use her name in a mocking tone again, I will slit your throat and crush you like the bug you are."

"Stop this!" Evelynn said sprinting to him.

"Don't you touch me." He said menacingly. Evelynn stopped in her tracks. James tipped the knife closer to Elise's throat causing a trickle of crimson to escape. "Now do you wanna make this hard or easy?"

She glared at him fiercely and chose to smirk sinisterly. "Weak mortal!"

He sent another blow to the same spot, Elise coughing up a little blood. James grabbed her throat, slightly lifting her off the floor.

"Teleport me to Noxus."

His grip released abruptly, letting Elise fall to the floor where she flopped down as her legs felt useless. Despite this, The Spider Queen only chuckled softly. James crouched down to meet her eyes. Evelynn felt afraid and Riven was in disbelieving shock.

"Ignorant fool! Have you forgotten that Culd-" Elise's words were cut off when James sent a violent blow into her face, making a little blood splatter on the floor.

"TELEPORT ME TO NOXUS!" He shouted.

Elise coughed violently at the blows James gave her. "Fine." She said weakly.

He pushed her harshly against the wall before getting up. James looked to Evelynn and Riven, both women giving him fearful looks. The man knew he should calm himself down, but he was filled with too much anger right now. Looking at Elise with contempt, James watched her perform the spell. After she snapped her fingers, both expected to see the portal appear.

It didn't.

James glared at Elise who was visibly surprised by this result. "I told you to teleport me to Noxus! I'm not finding this amusing Elise!"

"I casted the correct one! The destination was set to Noxus!" Elise said defensively. "I don't know why it didn't work!"

Yelling with frustration, James lifted Elise up by the throat. He brought the knife out, threatening to stab her. "I won't ask again. Teleport. Me. To. Noxus."

Elise's breaths were broken when the man squeezed her throat tighter. "I C-CA-CAN'T!"

James showed no hesitation in striking her stomach again. As Elise yelled at the pain, the man grabbed her spider leg and pulled, threatening to rip it off. The Spider Queen screamed in agony. Riven didn't know Elise and didn't care for her, but she did care for James and his wellbeing. This wasn't like him and Riven frowned as she tackled him to the ground.

Elise slid down the wall, groaning in pain as Evelynn came to her. The Agony's Embrace snaked her claws into The Spider Queen's hair with her other hand moving around her back, pulling her closer to comfort her. Evelynn glared at James who was in a state of disbelief at Riven's actions.

"Why did you do that?!" He demanded.

"Because the James I knew would never do such a thing! This isn't the James I love!" Riven said, her voice breaking. "He was a man of leadership, loyalty, and honesty! But now, you're acting like Culda!

The mention of the woman's name sent James into rage. He stood up and attempted to charge against Elise who quivered in fear for a change. Riven stopped him. "GET OFF ME! GODDAMMIT LET ME GO SEE JADE!"

"STOP IT!" Riven said visibly weeping. She wrapped her arms around him, keeping the man in place.

James tried to break out of her grip, but he was too disoriented by his current attitude. He didn't want to accept the fact that Jade was dead.

"James. It's okay. It's okay love…" Evelynn's voice said.

Fresh tears escaped James as he stopped struggling. Riven still held him in a tight hug, her eyes shut tight as more tears escaped them. His legs lost the strength to stand, making him kneel down with Riven doing the same. Evelynn came up behind him, grimacing but not crying. She put her arms around his stomach, pressing her temple against his disheveled hair as she merely rocked him back and forth. Riven did the same with her and Evelynn exchanging hateful glances.

James whimpered, the new reality being planted in his mind. Jade was dead, murdered by Culda in cold blood. He realized what Riven meant by him acting like her. He'd lost control of his temper and let the rage cloud his judgement. James released heavy but steady breaths. He looked at Riven who worriedly smiled.

"You're not alone James." She gently said.

His mouth opened to speak. Silence happened as his eyes darted towards the floor. "Jade…"

Riven chose to release her grip, helping James up with Evelynn following. "I'm… I'm sorry." He looked to see Elise gripping her extra leg. She glared at him and James compressed his lips. "I need to be alone."

He proceeded to walk out of the room saying nothing else. The Commander traversed down the hall, entering another room and slumping against the wall. Riven and Evelynn looked to where he exited before meeting gazes with glares.

"All this is your fault." Riven snapped.

"My fault?" Evelynn said looking entirely innocent. "I'm sorry, who's the one who saved your boyfriend in the first place? Who's the one who kept him healthy and hydrated?"

"He's not my boyfriend! He's someone I care deeply about!" The Exile retorted.

"I bet you'd like him deep inside you." Evelynn sneered.

The two of them would've gotten into an all-out brawl if the voice of a wounded Elise didn't stop them.

"Perhaps you maidens should settle this through mud wrestling." She said weakly laughing.

Riven sighed and propped her blade on her shoulder. She exited the room, eyeing to see which room James went into. A sharp whistle was heard behind her and Riven couldn't stop herself from being slammed against the wall. Groaning, the girl barely managed to turn her head, seeing Evelynn scowling at her.

"You're not getting anywhere near him you skank." Evelynn snapped. "James doesn't need you right now, he needs me. I'd slaughter you right here, but the last thing he needs right now is another dead girl who loves him." She eyed the blade. "You know, a blade is more effective when it's not broken."

"A broken blade is more than enough for the likes of you." Riven shot back.

Evelynn slammed Rivens' face against the wall. The Exile fell to the floor knocked out and she was carelessly thrown back into the room with Elise. Taking a deep breath, Evelynn paced down the hall in hopes of finding James. While seemingly sadistic and confident on the outside, Evelynn felt sadness… and despair on the inside.

James's mouth kept twitching between emotions. He shoved his hands into his uniforms pockets as he silently thought about the new reality presented to him. Noxus had given him a clear as crystal reason not to return, not after what they did to Riven and her unit. The lack of justice around the city for the murder of Jade and Swain's concern with the situation, Culda seemingly untouchable as she kept gaining more followers. Suddenly he heard some footsteps and then they stopped. He looked to see The Agony's Embrace standing at the doorway. James looked away.

"I said I wanted to be alone."

Evelynn didn't coo or make any kind of sound. She walked up beside him, her feline eyes hoping to meet his. A long silence happened with neither saying a word. Evelynn chose to break it.

"James I'm not going to pretend to know how you feel. I've never lost a person close to me for… obvious reasons." Evelynn said. "The people I killed, the numerous widows I created, the cries of them begging me to stop as I flayed their husbands head to toe, it never left a feeling of guilt in me." Her eyes darted downwards to the floor. "But with this situation… I do feel guilty."

James turned his head to her briefly before looking away.

"What's ironic is I'm not the one who did the killing." Evelynn said with a quiet and forced laugh. "But in a way, I am the reason she's dead."

This time James looked at Evelynn tensely. "What?"

"I stole you from her James. I… did what I always do. I stalked you, captured you, gave you pleasures, minus the torturing, and took everything from you."

He showed uncertainty of where she was taking this. It was only making him feel angrier. James felt he was about to unleash his rage on the woman, but then he saw something in her that one would never expect. A single tear slid from her eye, but only that. Evelynn moved her gaze away and down low, not letting James see this moment of weakness. Never before in her lifetime had The Agony's Embrace done this. She'd only seen it through the eyes of countless victims she flayed. James kept a stern look on her, but he felt pity. Evelynn didn't look like a fearful demon, she looked like a broken woman.

"I'm a monster James. I'm a cold-blooded demon who never believed in love. My past is stained with the crimson red of thousands, merely innocent flings to me with others seeing them as gruesome tales. And yet… after getting to know you, being close to you for such a short period of time, I'm feeling something that I never thought was possible. Knowing that I've taken everything from you, it doesn't make me feel good, it makes me feel… pain."

The Commander still said nothing. He showed no emotion or response to the words from Evelynn. Sighing at this, the woman looked away. However, she felt James's hand on her shoulder and she slowly turned to meet his eyes again. Evelynn wanted to grin widely when James cupped her chin, tilting her head upwards to match his mouths height.

_"What are you doing James?!"_ He thought.

He couldn't stop himself from leaning closer to her. This time there wasn't any tricks being used. They got closer and closer, eyes closing as they felt the warm breath of one another. After what seemed like an eternity, their lips finally met. Evelynn let out a pitiful mewl at the feeling of James's lips contacting hers. This sent a feeling through her body, a feeling she never thought was real. It was a kiss of love, soft and gentle for both parties. Evelynn didn't even think about nibbling on his lips or tongue, she was too caught up in the moment.

James finally broke it, slowly leaning back a few inches from her with both their eyes opening. Surprise and happiness were clear in Evelynn's yellow eyes, a loving smile creeping on her mouth at the action she just had. All the kisses she'd given her victims in the past had no passion or love in them apart from occasional exchanges with Elise, but this wasn't that.

For Evelynn, this was love.

Her smile faded when James showed regret. "James?"

"I… I shouldn't have done that." He said not even bothering to look at her.

She looked evidently hurt by this. Evelynn felt like a knot was being tied in her stomach. Her breaths became shivers. She gently reached to comfort him.

"Don't touch me." He said bitterly as he slapped away her hand. Evelynn looked at him with pure hurt in her eyes. James scowled at her and stood up. His fists clenched; he wanted to spout so many things at Evelynn, but he couldn't.

He swiped across a table, knocking some furniture off it with a shatter sounding. The man heatedly paced away from the succubus, not even bothering to look back at her. Evelynn was left in a state of shock, pain, and sadness, curling up into a fetal position. James stomped down the hallway, venting his anger and frustration along with not even bothering to check on the other women. He went down a single floor, stopping in the hall.

"Why did you do that James?! Why the fuck did you do that?! That shouldn't have happened!" He said to himself. "You're a bastard James Holland. A disloyal, cheating bastard! You learn Jade's dead and then kiss the one who took you away from her?! The one who took everything from you?!"

He pounded against the wall repeatedly until there was a significant dent. James panted as sweat dripped, still filled with rage at the news of Jade's death.

"Culda… you're going to burn for what you did to her. I will break you." He said with venom.

"Never become a monster to defeat one."

James immediately took out his knife, doing a combat ready stance as he turned to the direction of the voice. There he saw a woman in a silver and purple kimono. Her skin was dark.

"Who the hell are you?"

"You are not in any position to ask such questions!"

Suddenly James felt a little sting in his knife wielding hand, exclaiming at the pain as he dropped the knife. A blade had lightly stuck itself in his hand before it retreated much to his amazement. James grasped his hand as he turned to the other voice. The woman was dressed in what appeared to be pink skin-tight cloths with silver armor plats on the shoulders, knees, and torso as protection. Her eyes were sky blue, hair dark blue with a silky look. Numerous blades were displayed on her back.

"Is this man crawling with the same magic felt at the sight of the massacre?" Irelia asked.

Karma chanted and channelled. Her eyes glowed again as they opened. "Yes!"

Irelia chuckled at this with a smug smirk. "Remove it."

"Huh?" was all James could say before hearing a chant. "Lath Rian Oune Vi."

A loud crack was heard when he was slammed against the wall from the blast of magic Karma fired. He groaned loudly, teeth clenched. James panted from the impact, bringing a gloved hand to help ease his headache. That's when he realized that his armor no longer was a mixture of red; instead it was entirely black and damaged again. His wounds were visible with light leaks of blood.

"Oh my." He heard Karma say.

James glared at her and proceeded to do the same to Irelia, only to find that she was staring fiercely at him, the blades around her swirling rapidly enough to make her hair blow. Soon he realized what they were looking at.

The Noxus symbol on his uniform.

"Ah hell." He mumbled.

**"Noxian."** Irelia hissed.


	14. Dance Of Blades

James didn't have any time to react when Irelia lifted him off the floor against the wall, a single hand on his neck and squeezing harshly. His hands instinctively went to her arm, trying to pull it off in a futile manner. Her blades floated behind her menacingly as she scowled.

"What are you doing here Noxian? Has your brilliant Grand General been so distraught over losing his hand that he wants you to lose one too?" Irelia hissed.

"Irelia! Do not jump to such conclusions so quickly! Let us talk with him in a calm manner!" Karma said.

"Your peace leads to nothing but extermination Karma!" Irelia shot back. "Ionia is under attack by people like him!"

"Maybe you should listen to-!" James wheezed.

Irelia slammed James's head against the wall making him dazed. "You'll speak when I say you can Noxian scum!" She took a deep breath. "A few miles from here, there's remains of a great forest and numerous bodies, one of them an elder with his heart torn out. We picked up traces of magic in the area that matched a presence on your suit."

James gulped at this. He remembered what Elise said upstairs about her magic being tracked. These two must've been the ones.

"What were you doing there?" Irelia said, her voice still as aggressive as before. James didn't answer. The woman sent a blade into his gloved hand, carving through it. The man screamed in pain. "ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

"Irelia stop this!" Karma said. "The Spirit would not approve of this!"

The Blade Dancer briefly looked away from James, glaring deathly at Karma. "You claim to speak for the spirit... As if it doesn't move my blades."

This was the worst time to let her guard down. Irelia felt a fist get lodged into her jaw and was sent tumbling to the ground, meeting the dust of the floor. She bit her lip upon being hit and spat out some blood. James was taking deep, broken breaths as he regained his senses. Irelia glared at him.

**"Invader!"**

James was able to avoid the blades that flew at him. The treatment and actions Irelia was giving him combined with the news of Jade being murdered by Culda made him compelled to show this woman her place. James quickly charged Irelia and tackled her. The force sent them both crashing through a window and onto the tiled roof. Karma ran to the broken window, looking out with horror at the two figures.

"Irelia! You don't have to do this!" She said.

"Stay out of this Karma!" Irelia shouted. "This is between me and him!"

Irelia's further words were cut short when James clubbed her to the ground.

"Get up! Fight!" He yelled.

The response was a punch to his stomach. James felt himself get lifted up and Irelia back slammed him on the surface. She rolled off him, sending a heavy blow to his face and did it again with her knee. Karma let out a frustrated cry and went down the stairs, soon sprinting out of the building.

"It's not every day I find a worthy dance partner in these lands! I'm going to take my time with you Noxian… and I'm going to savor every moment of it!"

Irelia heaved him to his feet and directed two of her blades to embed themselves into his back shoulders. Instead of yelling in pain, James growled and sent a blow to Irelia's face. She only flinched, smirking at him smugly. James sent two more blows which knocked her down.

The Blade Dancer stood up and saw James perform a roundhouse kick against her. She effortlessly blocked it, his boot in her hand.

"Careful, I hit back!" She spouted.

Irelia swung around and threw James with such force he landed on another tiled roof, sliding across the rough surface. She walked to the edge, looking down at him with contempt.

"These rooftops will be your graveyard!"

James spat out some blood before getting back up with a groan. Looking at the blades impaled in his shoulders, the man yanked one out quickly to lessen the pain. He threw the blade at Irelia who didn't move a muscle as it stopped a few inches in front of her temple.

"You rely on weapons too much." She said before recalling the other blade in James's shoulder back to her. "Try letting go!"

The Blade Dancer directed two blades between James who barely had time to figure out what she was doing. He reeled back, but a flow of crimson flew through the air as he grasped his chest that had a thin slash across. The woman jumped onto the roof and dashed past him, slashing the left side of his torso. James yelled in pain and felt his right get the same treatment.

The Ionian slashed faster than James could react, and he could only gasp when his legs felt the same pain. On his knees, James looked up at Irelia who continued to stare him down condescendingly. He couldn't move in time when she sent two blades at him. The first hit his left shoulder making his body lurch to the point of impact with the second striking his right shoulder. James was knocked on his back, Irelia pacing towards him. She picked him up by the collar and thrusted a punch which resulted in James losing a tooth.

"No different from the rest of your people. You rely on brute strength to win your battles. For a General such as yours, he certainly picks uneven fights."

"Says the one who uses flying blades to fight her battles." James spat out in a wheezed voice.

Irelia growled and punched James's stomach again. She lifted him over her head and threw him into a solid wall with a loud crash.

"How does it feel Noxian? How does it feel being powerless in a fight you're not sure you can win? The feeling of watching your whole world slowly slip away with each strike?" Irelia said with malice in her voice. "That's what your people are doing to Ionia."

She lifted him up by the throat. "Killing you won't bring back those who have fallen in battle against your people, but it will feel good."

The woman didn't expect James to head-butt her and the man put such force into it that she dropped him and stumbled back dazed. James clenched his fist. The Commander delivered a punch to her cheek, an uppercut to her chin, then grabbed her head and sent two heavy blows at her face breaking Irelia's nose with a crack.

James watched Irelia chuckle as she paced backwards. Her bloody nose made the woman look fearful. "That's it? I expected more from a Noxian, particularly one with armor such as yours. Are you getting tired?"

James cracked his neck. The Commander was full of adrenaline now. Irelia was taken aback when he charged her with surprising speed. She sent the blades at him and the man took less maneuvers to avoid them resulting in more cuts on his armor. The two of them fell again with James on top, but Irelia used her strength to lift him over her and fall flat on his back.

He swiftly got back up and pushed aside Irelia's fist with his right hand and used his left to hit her. The woman stumbled back and used her elbows to block James's next punch. The man sent a right hook to her abdomen which make her defensive stance break and James hit her again. Attempting another punch, Irelia reacted to this and side stepped, grabbing his arm afterwards. She sent a blow to his face and then his stomach. Bringing both her hands together, Irelia let out a yell as she clubbed James's chin and knocked him down again.

"Do you believe this fight is anything but your death sentence?!" Irelia snapped.

James spat out some more blood and chuckled in a sinister tone. The Blade Dancer paced to him with a tense glare, picking him up by the collar yet again.

"What's so funny Noxian?"

"Your words are truly ironic." James said. "This fight may be my death knell, but this invasion of Ionia will be the end of you… and all your people."

He was thrown down again, Irelia putting her foot on his chest and pressing roughly. "Ionia will not fall. We will prevail against your Empire! We have the strength to do so!"

"Strength? How priceless!" He said mockingly. "When strength fails… you Ionians turn to your magic to fight your battles for you. Even now, you've only managed to subdue me mostly because of your floating blades!"

Irelia's temper flared.

"Seems like you don't have the stomach for it! Fight me without the use of your magic, unless you know that I'm too strong for you to handle!" He shouted.

As badly as Irelia wanted to kill James right there, his words were already implemented into her mind. She was a strategic Captain in the Ionian military, a dancer of blades. She'd won many battles with the use of her blades, but now there was this one Noxian who managed to survive against her longer than anyone else. Irelia would rather die than even show a slight sliver of fear against an enemy she despised.

"Alright Noxian." She said getting off him. James was surprised at this. He watched dozens of blades float around Irelia and fan out in three sets all along the roof. The blades embedded themselves into the tiles, creating a small arena with the buildings wall acting as the fourth barrier. Irelia clenched her fists and did a combat ready stance. James rose a brow when she taunted him with her now flat palm. "Let's dance."

James's fist clenched, and he charged Irelia. They both met in the middle and the woman dropped to the ground in an attempt to slide into James's legs. He was quick enough to nose dive over her and land on the opposite side. Irelia attempted to sweep him off his feet with a low kick which James also dodged. The Blade Dancer sent two kicks at him which he blocked and then tried punching. James did the same, but both fighters were neck in neck as they fought.

Finally, she gained an advantage and began to send swift, but weak hits to both his midsection and head. James, since he was full of adrenaline and was trained in the Crimson Elite, felt nothing, but a mere tickle and he chuckled at this.

"Is that supposed to hurt? No wonder your people can't hold off Noxus!" He sneered.

The Blade Dancer growled loudly. "Ionia will always stand!"

Despite this, Irelia knew that she couldn't tire out James. He'd survived her blades and showed no exhaustion. She gave up with the weaker strikes, instead grabbing James's arm with both hands and yanking him forward where she head-butted him. He stumbled back disorientated and Irelia attempted a right hook to his torso, but James blocked it and kneed her in the chin. The Blade Dancer was knocked back into one of the blade walls, but she easily shrugged it off. She lunged at James, pushing him back with such force his feet briefly left the tiled ground and crashed into the wall. Irelia jumped at him with James barely avoiding it. His height advantage over the woman allowed him to stomp on her back which caused her to arch upward and then kicked her in the face.

"Come on! Test me! TEST ME!" James demanded.

He tried to kick her again, but Irelia moved and grabbed one of his legs. Using her leverage, the woman threw them both forward with her landing on top of James who took the brunt of the impact. She cracked her right knuckle before sending a right hook into his cheek. Blood spurted from the punch and the latter groaned in pain.

"I'll dance on your grave." She said before sending another blow.

She attempted a third blow, but James blocked it with his arm. The man clenched his hands and hit Irelia's forehead simultaneously causing her reel upward, but not getting off him. James grabbed her armor and delivered a harsh strike to her face. This time Irelia was knocked off and fell back. Both met in the middle with James trying to punch her again. Irelia blocked it and hit his torso which knocked him back. Choosing a different move, James feinted with his right hand with Irelia moving to block it and then uppercut with his left.

"Is this… what passes for combat in Ionia!?" He roared.

Grabbing the dazed woman, James put her in a headlock and continuously slammed her into the bladed walls five times before she regained her strength and threw him off. James collided with the solid wall again and put his foot out to halt Irelia. She grabbed it and threw him at the bladed wall. James's armor protected him from the blades, but a few points still penetrated the back and left light cuts. He swung at Irelia with her ducking down to avoid and then sent an uppercut into his chin. The Blade Dancer began to send more quick blows at James who blocked them with his elbows. After more hits he tried to put her in a headlock again, but Irelia lifted him up and pressed him against the wall again. James winced at the feeling of the blades slowly cutting his back and he put his hand over Irelia's mouth in an attempt to suffocate her. The woman glared at him and pressed harder with the man's back sinking deeper into the walls.

"Ionian bitch!" He said with clenched teeth.

James sent a blow to her neck and then used his leverage to grab onto the bladed wall. He kicked Irelia off him and then tried to dive, but she rolled out of the way and picked him up harshly. The Blade Dancer smirked this time and punched James's lower right where his kidneys would be. His adrenaline was slowly wearing off and he clutched the point of impact. Irelia extended his right arm and took a blade from the wall. James had half a second to see what she was doing. The woman wrenched James forward and then uppercut the blade into his armored chest. James let out a scream that was bloodcurdling and full of agony.

…

* * *

Elise stretched in a leisurely fashion before getting back with a few snaps of her bones. She'd used her magic to heal the wounds James gave her and smiled blissfully. Her attention was drawn towards the unconscious Riven laying on the remnants of the wooden cubicles. She only raised a brow at this and left the room as she didn't care for the friend of the man who almost ripped off her spider leg. Elise walked down the hall, soon hearing a faint cry from another room. This caught The Spider Queen's attention and she advanced towards it.

For once Elise blinked in disbelief. Evelynn, The Agony's Embrace, was curled up against the wall in a fetal position with her face buried in her arms. The Spider Queen immediately knew it had something to do with James and she sighed as she walked to the upset succubus. Elise sat down beside Evelynn and the blue woman immediately brought up her head and rested it on Elise's arm. The Spider Queen didn't make any objection when she felt Evelynn's hands wrap around it as well. They didn't say anything.

"So, what happened?" Elise asked in an exasperated tone.

"He kissed me."

Elise opened her mouth to spout but couldn't do it. She sighed. "And?"

"He regretted it. He didn't return anything but anger and shame." Evelynn whimpered.

Taking a deep breath, Elise removed the arm Evelynn was resting on and brought it around to her shoulders, pulling her closer for an embrace. Wasn't often that she was in this situation, normally the only time Elise was embracing Evelynn was when they were having rough sex. This gave the woman an idea.

"Come on." She said with a suggestive smile.

Evelynn met the red hues of Elise and raised a brow when feeling the woman grab one of her breasts, squeezing none-too-lightly. Normally this would make Evelynn aroused, but not this time. The Agony's Embrace pushed away The Spider Queen's hand making Elise tilt her head in confusion.

"What the hell was that?"

Elise laughed at the silly question. "It's what always gets you going right? Doesn't it make you aroused?" She stopped when realizing Evelynn was scowling at her.

Back in the destroyed room Riven finally regained consciousness. She put her hand on her head as she sat up. Hair disheveled with a headache, The Exile groaned when standing up fully. Then she remembered what she was doing before being knocked out.

"James." She whispered concerned.

The girl walked out to the hallway, calling out her friend's name. She got no response.

"What kind of a woman do you take me for?! I'm in a state of despair and you want me to fuck you?!" A voice snapped.

"I take you for a demoness who's letting mortal emotions cloud her judgement!" Another voice shot back. "Look at yourself Evelynn! You're in despair over a mortal being!"

Riven didn't recognize the second, but she got the first. That succubus who knocked her out and abducted James. Holding her blade with a glare, Riven paced to the room.

"You wanna know why I'm in despair over him?! Do you?!" Evelynn snapped.

"Yes! Yes, I do!" Elise shot back.

Evelynn's throat swelled up. She didn't believe it was ever possible. She took a deep breath, loosening up her throat again.

**"Because I love him!"**

Riven stopped in the doorway at the sound of this. A few words that she wished she hadn't heard. Elise and Evelynn took notice of her but didn't make any acknowledgement. The Spider Queen looked away from Evelynn, almost like she was ashamed of her. The three women said nothing.

"Do you now?" She asked coldly.

The Agony's Embrace's hands clenched into fists to try and remain strong, but her voice was trembling. "Yes."

Elise only huffed at this and said nothing else as she walked out of the room, not even bothering to look at Riven who had her shoulders slumped. The Spider Queen snapped her fingers, teleporting out of the building and presumably back to the mansion. Evelynn was biting her claws as she leaned against the wall, sliding back down. While being aware of Riven glaring at her, Evelynn didn't say anything, much less, look at her.

The Exile thought about the words Evelynn said. Soon a laugh was heard. The Agony's Embrace immediately glared at Riven.

"That's hysterical. Losing your composure because a man doesn't love a succubus like you back?" Riven sneered.

Standing defiantly, Evelynn's vulnerable emotions were abruptly replaced with visible rage. Her lashers and talons were glowing red, eyes having the same effect. Riven brought out her blade, ready to finally fight the succubus. Evelynn had never felt hatred for someone like this despite meeting Riven not fifteen minutes ago. The urge to flay this girl alive, feast upon her delicious organs, kiss her, yank her tongue out with her fangs and shower herself in the girl's blood.

But she couldn't.

James would forbid Evelynn from ever seeing him again and might even kill her if she did such a horrific act. Evelynn made a sound of disappointment as she resisted the urge to slaughter The Exile. Then she smirked.

"Well he did kiss me love." Evelynn giggled when seeing Riven's eyes show suppressed rage. "And this time… it was because he wanted to. Oh… such a sweet taste he gives."

Riven's temper flared, her blade glowing with runic energy. Evelynn cackled at her victory and grinned widely when the girl marched towards her. The succubus had forgotten about her current situation with James, she was ready to cause some fresh pain.

Just as the two of them were about to fight, a bloodcurdling scream was heard outside. It was a man's scream, one they both recognized.

"James." They said in unison.

Immediately the thought of fighting ceased from their minds. Evelynn turned and ran to the window, peeking out with Riven next to her. Both of them looked around for a source and then noticed a rooftop that had what appeared to be a barrier around it. Narrowing their eyes, they saw two figures inside. A pained yell came from the spot, the same one they'd heard.

…

* * *

"You should've know better than to come here Noxian!" Irelia shouted before clubbing James down. "I am both the tranquil sea and the tempest. I've noticed you are no longer taunting me. Everyone has something clever to say... until the blades find their throat! Or in this case, give into the will of punches."

James gasped for air and The Blade Dancer laughed. She put her foot on his torso, pressing down with all her strength. "You're finished."

A growl was heard and Irelia didn't expect James to hit her with a harsh backhand from his left. She was knocked off, landing with a painful gasp from the sudden strike. James stood up, his hand on the blade lightly embedded in his chest.

"You Ionian's always were arrogant on the battlefield. Even when faced with overwhelming odds, you tell us to run and return to Noxus." James said with venom.

Irelia glared at him, but it soon turned to shock when she heard an unsheathing blade and a groan from James. The man yanked the blade out, looking at it with annoyance before throwing it aside.

"Is that all you got?" He taunted.

The Blade Dancer was silent, scowling at him before scoffing and charging again. Irelia jumped and kicked James's chest, making him stumble to his knees. She attempted to elbow his face, but James parred it and pushed her back. The Commander brought his hands together and jumped a little higher, bringing his fist down to Irelia's shoulder. She groaned loudly at the pain, grasping her shoulder. The woman tried to swipe James across which he avoided. Irelia sent a punch that was also dodged, and James hit her lower torso, the same spot she hit him. James delivered two swift hits that sent Irelia's face left and right. She blocked the next one, but James was faster this time and he bent down under and came up, sending a punch at her already broken nose.

"HAD ENOUGH?!" James shouted in fury.

Irelia didn't give up. She tried to hook him but was too disoriented and the motion was slow. James easily blocked it and kicked her abdomen. Irelia crashed into the solid wall, writhing on the surface to recover her strength.

"Stay down!" James spouted.

Even in her state, Irelia refused to give up. She would rather die here over surrendering to a Noxian. The Blade Dancer slowly stood up, clearly exhausted from the extended fight with this man. James growled and prepared his final strike. Irelia could only watch in fear when James reared his boot up and kicked her in the chest. The Blade Dancer let out a pitiful cry as she hit the tiled ground, groaning with clenched teeth afterwards.

James panted heavily, in desperate need of air. His gloved hands on his knees, the man looked at the woman who laid there. The woman who said these rooftops would be his graveyard, that this fight against her was his death knell.

The woman he'd barely beaten, on her own land. James's eyes showed fury against her while Irelia looked with fear. The look of fear in her eyes seemed to give satisfaction to something inside James that he didn't know he had. He loved the feeling of the wounds on his body, the cuts from the blades. The way this woman looked at him in fear.

"JAMES!" A familiar voice shouted.

Just like that, he snapped out of his rage. The man turned, seeing Riven and Evelynn standing atop the roof he and Irelia first fought on. James looked at Irelia who seemed like she was ready to die. He observed his bloody hands and his tattered uniform. The actions James performed against Irelia were the same ones he'd almost used on Elise.

Suddenly, the satisfaction James didn't know he had vanished, replaced with a knot in his stomach. The man felt he was turning into a monster. He felt like he was turning into… Culda.

The urge to kill Irelia was gone, but James would still show her his place. He went towards the wounded woman, grabbing her torn uniform, meeting her gaze amidst her bloody and bruised face.

"I didn't have to fight you. That also doesn't mean I didn't want to, Ionian." James said with a hiss on the last word. "You seem to have no mercy for Noxians, you believe they're all alike. Have no brains, only brawn. Only a bunch of ruthless killers serving under a dictator."

"That _is_ all you ar-!"

James pushed Irelia down and before she knew it, the woman was on her stomach and pulled up into a choke hold. She instinctively put her hands on his torn armor, trying to pry it off. Riven and Evelynn could only watch with anticipation.

"There you go again, being the one whose mind is concluded, yet you're very deluded." James whispered. "Do you think I follow orders blindly without questioning them? Do you think I would kill my fellow soldiers if my general demanded it?

Irelia said nothing this time. She still scowled nonetheless. The two of them heard a rumble, seeing numerous Ionian soldiers appearing across several rooftops by their position. Karma was leading them and was very concerned with the situation. James disregarded this.

"I could do it right now. I could snap your neck, spill your own blood on the land you've sworn to protect." James said.

"I give my life willingly." Irelia snapped.

"But I'm not going to do that. It'd just add to the illusion that all Noxians are the same. Just butchers who merrily slaughter countless civilians without hesitation."

"You're still my enemy." Irelia said.

"Enemy? My sense of duty is no less than yours. Sometimes you come across corpses of your counterparts on the battlefield. You wonder what their names were. Where they came from. If they were really evil at heart." James said coldly before jerking Irelia's chin up to meet his gaze. "I want you to look back on this day. I want you to remember it as the day a Noxian bested you in combat on your homeland. I want you to know that he had the chance to kill you. To snap your neck. To break every bone in your body. To humiliate you in front of your fellow soldiers. To remember that despite all those possibilities, he didn't go through with it, and let you live."

Irelia's glare had faded, but she also showed no astonishment or surprise. The Blade Dancer's pride was too great. James scoffed at this and released her. He looked around with disinterest at the Ionian soldiers on the roofs. The man wasn't sure if they were about to embed him with dozens of arrows. Feeling that Riven and Evelynn were scared for him, the man gestured at them to stay there.

Karma bit her lower lip, unsure of what to do. The Noxian had beaten Irelia in combat. He had the chance to kill her right there, cause humiliation that would spread across the entirety of Ionia. Maybe he backed down due to the arrival of the soldiers, but Karma wasn't sure of that. She ordered the soldiers to not open fire on the man just yet.

_"SO MUCH UNTAPPED POWER!"_

A loud crash was heard from another building making everybody tense up. Soldiers were heard screaming as they fell to their deaths with splats. Irelia immediately recalled the blades to herself, doing a stance with a few blades by her side. A cloud of dust and debris filled the spot of where a building once was. Karma and the soldiers watched the scene, soon noticing a silhouette of a woman floating through the mess. James narrowed his eyes and soon widened them. Irelia's mouth went agape.

Coming out of the debris was Syndra, an armada of spheres at her disposal. Her eyes glowed purple with a cocky smirk.

"Oh shit." James and Irelia said in unison.

The Dark Sovereign narrowed her eyes, examining the figures present before her, or in other words, her playthings. Then her gaze fell upon the one who gave her a bloody nose the night before.

The man in dark unique armor, his face hidden by his helmet. Her temper flared.

_"SCATTER WEAKLINGS!"_

Syndra commanded all her spheres in the direction of every rooftop that had soldiers on them, including the one with Karma. The woman barely had time to react before the orbs crashed through the structure, sending the figures on top tumbling into rubble with yells. Karma crashed through a stone wall with it crumbling both around and on top of her, rendering her unconscious and bloody. Riven and Evelynn weren't spared either, but they managed to avoid the deadly attack thanks to Evelynn pushing Riven out of the way with her. Unfortunately, both of them fell from the building and onto the street below. Landing with loud thuds, both fell unconscious.

Back up top, the only roof that remained unharmed was the one James and Irelia were on. Syndra had intentionally left it intact for her quarrel with the armored man.

_"Run playthings."_ Syndra spouted with a cackle afterwards.

James exchanged glances with Irelia for a second. He wasn't sure if she would help him in this situation, but he didn't wait to find out. The man barely avoided an explosion of magic as a new sphere formed at his location. James yelped and dove through a window which put him back inside the building. A loud rumble was heard as Syndra lifted the entirety of the floor above him off the building, throwing it aside soon after.

_"There's nowhere to hide!"_

James dove to avoid another sphere that formed by him. He clumsily ran from the dark mage who laughed at his futile attempt to escape. James jumped aside again to avoid a sphere soaring for his head. The object smashed through a wall and showered him in debris.

As he steadied himself out, the man felt a strain on his body. He was unable to move, and he grunted to resist it. Syndra had him encased entirely in the grip of her magic. Smirking, Syndra waved her hand around, sending the helpless man flying through the interior of the building, sending him crashing into walls and stones. James screamed at the pain she was giving him and when she deemed it enough, Syndra brought him face to face like before. James was disoriented and bloody. He could barely maintain his composure in Syndra's grasp.

_"You are weak and pathetic. You are nothing without your advanced weaponry!"_

"And you're no-nothing-! Without your-! Spheres!" James shouted.

The mage scowled at him. Instead of using her spheres, Syndra grabbed James's neck and began to choke him. The man gagged and spat some blood at Syndra who flinched with her eyes closing. They opened with a purple glow as she gritted her teeth.

_"Wretch!"_

Syndra directed a sphere to James's torso, then his chest, and finally his head. Syndra released him prior to the last hit and he went sailing across the room with a loud thud. Syndra sneered at his position and levitated to him. James slowly got back up, clearly wounded and tired. The Dark Sovereign summoned a sphere that was crackling with dark magic. She grinned evilly and prepared to hurl it.

James heard what sounded a wisp in the air and then heard Syndra scream in pain. He could see that she'd been lightly cut across her abdomen. The mage whimpered pitifully and then James saw a figure kick her away. When he regained his senses, the man was shocked to see an extended hand from his former opponent, Irelia.

He looked at her with confusion and she grumbled.

"Come on!" She said with an impatient tone.

The Blade Dancer pulled James back up and they were at their full height.

"Huh. Didn't expect to see you here." He said bluntly.

Irelia scoffed at his words, clearly annoyed. "If anyone's going to kill you, it's going be me."

"So, you're here to help her?" James sarcastically asked.

She only glared at him, choosing not to say anything else. They could hear a growl, and both turned to see Syndra preparing more spheres.

"Get behind me!" Irelia said.

James was hesitant to do such a thing, but Irelia was his best chance of surviving at the moment. Syndra launched her spheres.

"Watch out! Watch out!" James exclaimed.

Irelia charged her blades, letting them swirl around her and James. The spheres Syndra threw were deflected by the flurry of blades. Irelia let out a cry and directed the blades at Syndra who was knocked back, slightly disorientated and losing her balance. The Dark Sovereign shook it off and scattered the spheres at both.

"MOVE!" Irelia shouted.

Both of them dove to avoid the spheres that crashed into the building's interior with more debris flying. James groaned as he got up while Irelia was already back to avoiding more spheres.

_"Hah! You would defend this weak, pathetic excuse of a man?!" _Syndra said cackling at Irelia.

The Blade Dancer ignored her words. Irelia leaped into the air and sent two blades at Syndra who put her hand out to halt them and directed the objects back at their master. Irelia managed to avoid them and dashed past the mage, slashing her leg with Syndra exclaiming in agony. Irelia tried it again, but Syndra scattered her orbs and knocked the woman back a distance against a stone wall. The Ionian grunted from the impact but still got up. She wasn't done yet.

James watched the two women engage again in combat. Irelia dashing in various locations just in time to avoid the mages orbs and Syndra blocking the blades being hurled at her. The man felt useless not being able to contribute. He needed his rifle that was back at the mansion.

"Time to improvise." He said to himself.

Irelia used her blades to defend herself from a literal bombardment of Syndra's spheres. However, this time the mage raised her hands in the air and simultaneously slammed them downwards. A massive shockwave emitted around her and it sent Irelia into the stoned wall again. This time The Blade Dancer nearly had the life knocked out of her and Syndra summoned seven spheres.

_"YOU WILL NOT RESTRAIN ME IONIAN! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"_

"Revenge is a dish best served cold!"

Syndra was too slow to react before James leaped from behind. She felt his gloved hand on her neck and then abrupt pain in her lower side. The man had lightly stabbed the mage with a knife.

_"GET OFF ME!"_

James remembered Elise's mention of Syndra's temper. He imagined that she'd never allowed one of her playthings this close to her and it was undoubtedly making her angry. He'd exploit this as best he could.

"An entire legion couldn't stop you, yet here I am, holding a knife to your body!" James said in a mocking tone.

Syndra's eyes glowed brighter than ever before. _**"SHUT UP!"**_

The mage summoned magic that she hadn't balanced yet. An inhuman explosion happened between her and James that resulted in what remained of the building exploding violently, sending debris everywhere amongst the scared population. James and Syndra were both sent flying in the same direction, crashing through a building that was still intact and skidding across the floor. She regained her senses, seeing James slowly get back on his feet, a hand on his side in a likely attempt to tend a few broken ribs.

Syndra was about to send more spheres before feeling a blade embed her back. The Dark Sovereign glared as she turned, seeing an exhausted Irelia on a pile of rubble with her hand stretched out. Syndra remembered James and tried to knock him away by scattering her spheres, but he managed to bypass them by half an inch.

Tackled out of the building while maintaining her levitation, Syndra used her sharp nails to scratch James across the face twice before he sent a blow to her face, knocking the headpiece off her and exposing her white hair. The mage chose to bite James's arm and he yelped. She reeled back with some blood on her teeth.

"Pathetic!" James spat.

_"I WILL KILL YOU!"_

James managed to put Syndra into a choke hold but could barely bring his arm close enough to cut off her air. The Dark Sovereign summoned dozens of spheres, trying her best to knock James off but in her state of mind, the mage ended up tearing down more buildings with the spheres. In addition to this, they both levitated higher and higher above the village with the spheres whirling around them with such speed it created a vortex with a purple glow.

"You wonder why you were restrained!? Do you?!" James shouted.

_"Shut up! SHUT UP! FEAR ME YOU WEAKLING! MY POWER IS UNMATCHED!"_

James felt Syndra elbow his already damaged ribcage which caused him to nearly lose his grip. The man fought back by sending the knife into her torso, making the woman scream.

Desperate to shake him off, Syndra resorted to sending a punch to his face. However, she was rather weak in terms of strength and James easily blocked it. He punched her which made some blood spurt out. James sent another blow, but Syndra managed to duck and avoid it much to his surprise.

_"HAH!"_

Finally, free of his grip, Syndra sent a sphere to him. It missed.

_"WHAT?!"_

"All that time to master your work and you can't hit a man only two feet away." James sneered.

_"ENOUGH PLAYTHING! YOUR TIME IS UP!"_

Furious that he was getting to her, Syndra threw herself at James and locked him in her arms. He rose a brow at this before noticing crackling magic around her.

_"DIE!"_

Releasing him, the mage unleashed the full potential of her magic. A colossal blast of magic erupted from her body that created a brief purple bubble in the sky before disappearing. However, she failed to notice James had a firm grip on her arms and soon found herself spiraling downwards to the village with him.

_"LET GO!"_ She shouted.

"You don't get it Sovereign! I'm not your plaything! You're coming with me bitch!" James roared.

She tried to get free of his grip, but the man was too strong, and she was too weak. The mage couldn't even stop herself by levitating. As they got closer, Syndra felt a swap of positions. Now she was on the bottom with James on top.

_"AHHHH, FUCKING BASTARD!"_

Before hitting the ground, Syndra managed to cast a barrier in front of her to lessen the impact. Hopefully.

_ **CRASH** _

* * *

A shockwave emitted from the site of the already destroyed buildings. It reached points beyond, shattering windows of buildings that remained unscathed from the conflict and making the occupants of the Blood Moon Festival run in fear. Roads had cracks with dust and debris filling the area. A few stragglers, including the conscious but significantly wounded Karma emerged.

"What the hell just happened!?" A soldier asked.

Karma didn't reply. She clutched her bloody leg with a wince as she kept walking. Some soldiers were helping those caught under the rubble. Karma then noticed dozens if not hundreds of medics arriving at the site of the ruins. She heard a familiar groan and noticed Irelia limping amidst the dust.

"IRELIA!" She said with anxiety.

The Blade Dancer stumbled as she struggled to maintain her posture. Karma and another soldier came to her aid to give support.

"What happened?"

"Um… I think the Noxian and The Sovereign levitated into the sky or something." Irelia said clearly disorientated.

"Get over here!" A voice sounded.

Both their gazes darted towards a lone soldier who was standing over a large crater. Scorch marks with small mana fires. Immediately everyone gathered around the site. Irelia narrowed her eyes, seeing two bodies in the rubble. Upon closer inspection, she recognized them.

One of the figures was Syndra, unconscious and face down while being covered in dust and dirt. The other was the Noxian. He was on his back instead, a hand across his torn and dirty uniform. The top half of his helmet was off and there was a bloody spot on his forehead.

**"JAMES!"**

An otherworldly and inhuman screech was heard from the crowd of medics and soldiers. Everyone gave some space from the source of it.

Evelynn was looking down at the crater with horror and fear in her eyes. Fresh tears escaped her before leaping down and literally landing on top of the wounded man. She quickly comforted him in her arms, holding him against her tight and not wanting to let go for any reason. Irelia and Karma watched in bewilderment, unsure of what to do.

"What's going on?" Another voice asked.

The voice was directly behind Irelia and Karma, seeing a woman with white hair. She pushed past a few soldiers and medics, seeing the crater as well. Riven recognized the armored man… and the woman who was cradling him in her arms.

"James, don't die. Don't die. Don't leave me." Evelynn said whimpering.

"Evelynn…?"

The succubus was almost overcome with joy and emotions when she found him looking up at her. Evelynn pulled off the mouthpiece of his mask to allow some easier breathing.

"James…"

James managed a weak smile contrary to his actions against Evelynn earlier, before slowly closing his eyes and his mouth returning to a neutral form. Evelynn felt the body go limp.

"No…" She gasped.

The woman picked up the scent of blood around her. She realized that along James's side, he was bleeding out.

"No, no, no, no, no! Stay with me!" She said with her voice breaking.

The paramedics had seen enough and jumped down into the crater with their supplies. Irelia's eyes widened and she didn't know why she chose to jump down too, rushing to James's aid. Riven was already there, trying to cover James's wound before the medics took over.

"We gotta stop the bleeding!" A medic said.

"Don't die James! Please don't!" Evelynn said fully crying.

Riven took pity on this, but she was in no better condition. The Exile went to Evelynn, wrapping her arms around the blue woman and embracing her in a rough hug. Evelynn didn't falter in doing the same. Riven didn't trust or like Evelynn, but her present actions showed that she was certainly in love with James.

Riven felt like she was comforting Jade for a brief moment. A woman weeping over the loss of her love. A tear escaped The Exile's red pupils. She felt like she was going to lose James all over again.


	15. Wake Up

Evelynn hadn't felt pain like this since the end of the Rune Wars. Seeing the man, the first man she'd ever fallen in love with, in a state such as this was agony to her. The hospital was overrun with countless wounded soldiers and civilians, but Irelia managed to get James a surgeon given that he literally saved them from Syndra.

Riven and Evelynn were set outside of his room. They stayed there for the majority of the evening but didn't talk much. The only reason they came together is because of James and nothing more. Unfortunately, Riven had fallen asleep while Evelynn was fully awake. Finally, a man stepped out of the room.

It was Shen in his surgeon uniform.

Evelynn quickly went to him, eager to hear his words.

"I've closed and dressed his wounds, but he lost a lot of blood." Shen said impassively. "I do not know how long it will take him to recover."

The Agony's Embrace inhaled deeply. "Thank you… doctor."

Shen bowed and walked past the blue woman. Evelynn went into the room, seeing James laying on the bed in a white gown. There were bandages everywhere on his body and he had one on his head. Evelynn sat down beside him, soon taking his bandaged hand with her claws. She sensibly gripped it, lips compressed as she watched his seemingly unresponsive body.

She said nothing else.

…

* * *

**8 years ago**

It was midnight in Noxus. A pale looking woman was leaning against a wall amongst the docks of the Noxian harbor. After a few minutes, her mouth twitched a little with a smile coming on when seeing a unique boat sailing into the docks.

However, the woman was abruptly grabbed from behind and forced to turn. She found a sharp spider leg being pointed at her neck. She let out a carefree laugh.

"Is that really necessary Elise?" She snickered.

"Shut it. I've got what you need so just take it." Elise snapped before roughly pressing the artifact into Leblanc's hands which caused her to stumble back lightly.

"Aww, I don't even get a kiss?" Leblanc pouted.

The Spider Queen spat at The Deceiver before snapping her fingers and teleporting out of the area. Leblanc sighed and secured the artifact with her staff. The woman was about to leave the docks, but then noticed another boat pulling in. This actually amazed Leblanc. Wasn't often that a boat was pulling into the docks this late. Since she had nothing else to do, the woman hunched over, looking with anticipation at what would happen next.

…

"Thank you, sir." A young man said to the captain prior to getting off.

"It was good sailing with you Mr. Holland! I wish you luck in the city of Noxus!" The captain replied. "Just be careful this time of night! Tends to be a lot of shady figures lurking around."

"Thank you!"

He didn't care about what lurked in the darkness of Noxus. The young man wanted a fresh start and if a figure with a knife would try to stop him from achieving that, he'd do what was necessary to continue on.

James Holland had arrived in Noxus.

The young man walked through the seemingly deserted streets, hearing only occasional crickets chirping. He walked into a park, a few rays of the pale moonlight shining through the tall buildings. James had no idea where he was and was oblivious that during his travel, a mysterious woman was watching over him.

Typically, Leblanc wouldn't care, but she had examined his unique attire. This armor was something else. Something she figured she should get her hands on for The Black Rose.

James sat down on a bench, taking a breather from his travel and for a drink. He'd raided his parents liquor cabinet prior to leaving, not that they ever drank, but he was fond of it. Taking a swig, James sighed contently as the fluid entered his system. A few footsteps were heard nearby. James put the bottle down, standing up to check his surroundings. He could see two men advancing on him. They seemed to be older, probably in their early twenties. Both had daggers and grinned widely at him.

"Come on Del, slice him down! Show him we're nasty!" One said.

"Man… I don't know Oscar. The guy looks like he shouldn't be fucked with. Look what he's wearing."

James glared at both of them. He clenched his bottle free hand. "Come on." He taunted.

"Whoa man… the guy's into it." Del said concerned.

"Doesn't matter! Let's cut him!" Oscar said.

The man turned to the first one. "Come on!"

This time both thugs showed nervousness but refused to back down. James's grip on his bottle tightened.

"Slice and dice!" Oscar shouted.

James reacted appropriately. He raised the bottle to block the dagger aimed at his neck. The blade pierced through the glass and James twisted it abruptly to yank the dagger from Del's hand and parred Oscars attack. He kicked Del in the abdomen and then uppercut the bottle into his assailants' chin. With both men stunned, James reached into his uniforms holster and pulled out his pistol.

Leblanc saw two brief flashes happen at the scene with loud bangs. The two men fell on the grass with the armored figure remaining unharmed. However, only one of them was dead with the other one still being alive. James intentionally did this. The Deceiver smiled.

"No please man! Don't kill me! Was only playing!" Oscar begged.

James sneered at the man's pleads for mercy. He stomped his boot on Oscar's face and broke his nose. The man then flipped the thug over.

"You're just another piece of scum! You stay in the shadows and try to catch people who are alone off guard, and yet you have the audacity to beg for mercy?!"

"PLEASE! NO!"

"I'll see you in Hell!" James said.

The man flipped his sidearm over and held it by the muzzle. He then slammed the handle of the weapon down on the back of Oscar's head, cracking his skull and relentlessly killing him. James flipped the gun back and shoved it into the holster on his armor. Leblanc had seen enough. The woman disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

James took another swig from his bottle, what was left of it, before throwing it at the corpses with a shatter. "Mother fuckers." He muttered.

"Hmm… impressive work." A calm voice said.

He abruptly whipped around, his pistol armed and soon found himself aiming it at a woman. She was clad in a purple and golden cloak, holding a glowing staff with dark makeup around her eyes. James scowled at her, his finger becoming itchier to pull the trigger. Neither of them said a word.

"Calm down. I mean no harm."

"Is that why you chose to come out immediately after I got jumped?" James said.

"If I wanted to harm you, I'd have done it back at the docks dear." Leblanc said.

James pulled the trigger, the woman sent falling back and hitting the dirt, blood leaking from her temple. She was dead.

"Wrong target fool."

The young man felt his legs get shackled and soon found himself wrapped in golden chains. The woman he shot was in front of him, smirking at her trapped victim.

"I shot you!" James spouted.

Leblanc cackled. "It's all smoke and mirrors." Her amber eyes met his narrowed glare. "I really don't want to kill you my dear boy. You could have a lot of potential here in Noxus given your armament and your ability to kill without hesitation."

"I have a bad habit of killing without asking if it's a couple thugs." James snapped. "Doesn't mean I'll do it all the time."

"If I release you, can I trust you not to commit the same outburst you did on my clone?"

"Can I trust that this is the real you and not another clone?"

She cackled again. Leblanc found this boy to be amusing and would love to offer him a position in The Black Rose, but she had a feeling that's not what he came here for and he wasn't fond of magic. The Deceiver's original intention of getting her hands on his weapons had faded. She was curious. "Where are you from dear?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because if you don't tell me now, I'll find out later. My people have an entire eyesight of Noxus. Nothing goes unseen or unheard, not even your arrival on the midnight boat. So why don't you stop being such a stubborn little boy and just tell me?"

James didn't like or trust this woman, and it wasn't just because she had him locked in chains. She was no doubt a corrupt woman if she had an organization, or cult, that watched every part of the empire. Not even an hour in Noxus and he's already getting into trouble.

"I'm from Zaun." James said.

Leblanc uttered an amused hum with her thin brows raising moderately high. James felt the woman release him and he fell on his knees before he was able to regain his posture. Leblanc kneeled down in front of him with a sultry look. James reeled his head back with a distressed expression.

"Well that explains your advancements." Leblanc purred. "I don't suppose I could know your name too? And why you're here?"

James rolled his eyes with an annoyed growl. "James. James Holland is my name. I've come to Noxus to enroll… in the military."

Another amused sound was heard. Leblanc curled her dark lips. Then she got a gleeful idea. "In the standard infantry? Nonsense! You have potential, my dear Holland! Your talents will be wasted in that division. I will ensure that they are recognized."

"Uhhh, what are you getting at?"

"Sweet lord, you ask too many questions!" Leblanc exclaimed. "Dearest Holland, I can make so many things happen for a person, bad or good. This moment, I'm presenting you the chance to prove yourself! I will enroll you in The Crimson Elite!"

James's eyes widened with fear this time. He knew all about The Crimson Elite. They were the equals of Demacia's Commandos. The training to join them varied, depending on mages or fighters. The mages were trained in the use of a rare magic that was used by select organizations. For fighters, it was all about physicality, endurance, and strength. James was a fighter.

"You must be joking." He said.

Leblanc smiled at him, strutting with her hips swaying. James knew she was up to something.

"I'm not joking at all dear. I'm giving you an opportunity that most would take without hesitation. Not to sound crass, but isn't that what you wanted? To start anew in this empire?" Leblanc asked. "You came all the way from Zaun for what? To join the military and likely be killed your first day on the field? The Crimson Elite can offer you so much more. It can offer you friends… family."

His fists clenched at her knowledge. This woman was a sorceress and obviously good at reading people's minds and emotions. Yet it struck him odd that a mysterious person was being so sincere.

"Yes… it is."

Splendid!" Leblanc said gleefully before tossing aside her staff. James rose a brow at this. "Of course, … I will not grant your wish without a price."

James blinked a few times in confusion before realizing that her drapes had dispersed, along with her cloak as well. His eyes widened with alarm and the man drew his sidearm again. A hand grabbed his weapon wielding hand, James turning to see it was one of her clones.

"No!" He said strained.

"My dear Holland…" Leblanc said with a sultry yet warning tone. "…it's not like you have a choice here."

Chains wrapped around his legs, rendering him unable to move. James tried to pry his hand from the clone, but felt Leblanc kick him down. James squirmed more to get free from the tight grip. Leblanc leisurely stretched on top of him, playfully drawing her delicate fingers along his armor with a smile.

Leblanc abruptly kissed James. The Deceiver tasted delicious to James and his struggling ceased. Leblanc felt his arms wrap around her and she giggled. She ran her hands over his armor in an attempt to find where it would come off. James just unbuckled his pants.

…

James was panting on the grass, his hair sweaty and disheveled from the festivity. He saw Leblanc get dressed, taking her staff after.

"Well… that was fun." He said with a chuckle.

"Don't expect that to be a common occurrence Holland." Leblanc said in a strict tone. She turned to him and gave a tense stare. "As of this moment, we've never met."

James looked at her dumbfounded before snorting. "I'm sorry, didn't you know, every single one of your people just see the whole thing?"

She cackled. "They'll see what I allow. The Black Rose is always blooming, but I am its true eyesight." Leblanc took a breath, allowing a more serious tone take over. "Tomorrow, your new life in Noxus will begin. And you will have no memories of this encounter."

"Huh?"

A bright flash happened in front of him and the man was knocked flat on his back. James sat up, dazed and confused. His eyes blinked rapidly to recover from the sudden flash. Looking around, James stood up. He saw a brief puff of purple smoke before grabbing his bag and setting off further into Noxus.

…

* * *

**3 years later**

It'd been three years since he arrived in Noxus, almost being killed on his first night there. He trained long to achieve his spot in the Crimson Elite. Throughout his life, James wasn't overly muscular, but he wasn't weak. He could hold his own ground against people twice his size, but now he could do more. The man had a four-pack on his stomach and his muscles were toned.

And yet, despite all the success he achieved over the years, James felt incomplete. It was nobody's fault and he only had himself to blame… apart from his parents. He had nobody to share it with, nobody to talk or relate to… nobody to love. James had generally been a loner his whole life, but now, he realized that wasn't the life he wanted to continue living. He just didn't know where to start.

Here he was at the age of 24, sitting in the cafeteria of the institution he learned to call home, The Noxus Military Academy. James forcefully pounded his fork into the piece of steak, trying to break through it's rough surface. The food in the academy wasn't necessarily the best, but it could've been better. Given James's surprising strength in the program, he was allowed to wear the same armor he invented years ago. With some adjustments to make it tougher and durable, the young soldier dubbed it as his custom uniform. Regardless of that, he liked to keep his face mostly hidden, wearing the top half of the helmet with his red visor in favor of eating.

Then abruptly, a hand tightly gripped his shoulder with a voice that said, "WHAT'S UP?!"

James was certainly startled by this and came close to unleashing the anger that had built up less than a second after feeling the hand. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the urge to shout.

"Please… don't… do that." He said gritting his teeth and hunching his posture to avoid making eye contact.

The voice only snickered in response. "That's funny. Almost sounded like you were telling me what to do."

That set him off. James stood up, forcefully removing the hand from his shoulder and pushing down the woman. She fell with a grunt, the red hair sprawling out across the floor. James didn't like being touched, especially by surprise. He traded glares with the girl who stood up. James and Katarina stared each other down.

"Did you just push me?" Katarina asked with unmistakable malice.

James crossed his arms and gave the woman an unamused look. He knew of this woman and her abilities. They didn't call her The Sinister Blade for nothing. The man still wasn't faltered.

"I don't like to be touched." He said sternly.

Katarina let out a laugh of amusement. James's eyes twitched. "I don't like to be pushed around by weaklings like you."

He blinked once in disbelief.

"You know what I'm talking about. Your combat is that of chicken! You fight from a distance, choosing to shoot instead of getting up close and messy! True strength isn't forged by fighting in the backlines."

James exhaled heavily and growled. Katarina didn't expect him to grab her arm and her eyes flashed. The urge to slice him down reached its limit quickly as she grinned wickedly. However, when Katarina reached for her daggers, she found herself staring at James's sidearm. He held it firmly and his hands weren't shaking. Attention in the cafeteria had been drawn to the standoff. Katarina was shocked.

"Strength doesn't come from being up close and personal, Sinister Blade." James said. "Sometimes it comes from different vantages and points. And I know how to handle myself in close combat. I'm just not a psychotic killer like you and your father."

Katarina's eyes were replaced with fury and wrath. She didn't like anybody talking ill of her father. James chuckled at his small victory. Then both felt themselves get pushed apart by another person.

"That is enough!" A voice snapped.

James looked at the new arrival. He recognized her shortly. White hair, tanned skin, and a muscular build. It was Riven. His eyes soon focused on Katarina who didn't even break away.

"Stop it, both of you." Riven said in a firm voice before looking at Katarina. "Kat, I'll talk to you later, just leave us. Please."

The Sinister Blade glared at her friends' command. Made her wonder why she was defending a person she barely knew as opposed to standing up to them. Regardless, Katarina let out a mocking laugh. "It's just a little horsing around Riven!" She said with a smile. James could see through it effortlessly. She wanted to behead him more than anything right now. "I'll see you and Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass later." The redhead walked away.

"You touch me again and I'll shove one of those blades up your ass, bitch." James spouted.

Katarina abruptly stopped, her back turned to both soldiers. Her fists clenched, and her posture grew… but nothing happened. She flipped James off without looking and exited the cafeteria.

"What the fuck was that?!" Riven snapped.

"I don't like to be touched. You know that." James shot back.

"That still doesn't mean you have to point… whatever_ that _is at her!" Riven said referring to his pistol.

James scoffed and returned to his meal. He groaned in annoyance when Riven sat down next to him. "What do you want?"

The girl forcibly chuckled. "We've been training for years in this program. The Crimson Elite! And I barely know anything about you apart from your name, where you came from, and that you've created weapons using your genius! I think that since you're now part of this unit, you should start to open up to people. Make friends you know?"

He grumbled as he stabbed a piece of the steak again, lifting up the captured piece and staring at it. "I don't _do_ friends." He said lying. James engulfed the food.

"Is that why you came to Noxus… James?" Riven said using his name to grab attention. "Did you come here to join the military? A force that relies on cooperation and trust amongst its individuals, only to do the exact opposite of that?"

James slammed his fist on the table with enough force to make the plate clatter. Riven's words were getting to him. He wanted to shut her up. He wanted to walk away and never see her again, but she was right.

"Yes. I came here exactly for that." He said. James was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to Riven. He heard the girl snort. James buried his head in his hands with a sigh of defeat. "No… it isn't."

He heard Riven slide closer to him until her hip made contact with his. James brought his head up and felt the girl wrap her arm around his far shoulder. Their gazes met with Riven having on a timid smile. James didn't return the same look, but he also didn't glare at her.

"Well come on." She said getting up. James was surprised which made her laugh. "There's no better way for Crimson Elites to bond than by doing a covert mission."

"Uhhh, maybe we could just go for a drin-!"

Her muscles weren't just for show. Riven was a strong girl and she grabbed James's arm. The man objected and hopelessly tried to break from her grasp.

"I wasn't asking." She said playfully.

…

* * *

"This was your idea." James said with clear hostility towards Riven.

"Alright so maybe I got a little careless!" She said casually. "At least we're not dead."

"Yet!" James snapped. "Not dead yet!"

"Shut up! It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place!" Katarina added.

"You're the one who carelessly dove into the center of the camp, desperate to kill every Demacian there!" James replied before turning to Riven. "And YOU'RE the one who tried to save her after she got herself captured out of sheer stupidity!"

"I thought your advanced armaments would be able to cut down dozens of them in quick motion!" Katarina shot back.

"They're meant for precise aiming, not taking down hordes of enemies!"

The three of them were tied up together in chairs inside a tent at a Demacian camp just East of Noxus. High Command sent them to sabotage the emplacement and any information the Demacians may have gathered from their time at the location. It'd failed thanks to Katarina's feud with James and she tried to show him she was to be feared. The Sinister Blade got herself caught and Riven tried to rescue her with James providing covering fire, but they were also captured. Now the three soldiers were tied up inside one of the tents. Their quarrelling didn't stop until an officer told them to shut up.

With them no longer clamoring, James was allowed to think without interruptions. He then got an idea.

"Hey. Hey Riven. Can you reach into my right pocket?"

"Uh, yeah. I think."

"What're you doing, trying to get lucky before we're killed?!" Katarina said.

Riven managed to get her hand into James's uniform pocket. He squirmed to get closer to make it easier.

"Uhhh, I have something. Feels like a cigarette lighter." Riven said.

"Good. Try and burn through the ropes."

"The one time I'm glad to know a smoker." Riven chuckled.

She managed to open the lighter and ignited the flame. Through the awkward position, Riven tried to bring the flame to the ropes. However, she brought it too close to her hand and she yelped as it slightly burnt her, causing the girl to accidentally drop it on a rug, the lighter still ignited. Riven's eyes widened and she tried to reach the lighter with her foot, but it was too late.

The flames soon spread across the rug with Riven trying to blow it out in a futile manner. Her colleagues didn't notice.

"Uh guys, I got something to tell you."

"Are you going to tell us which one you love more?" Katarina said sarcastically.

Riven rolled her eyes at the question. "The floor's on fire." She sheepishly admitted.

"What?" James asked confused.

Both he and Katarina looked over in Riven's direction, seeing that the floor was on fire and it was quickly spreading.

"Oh-God-move do-what-I-do!" James said quickly that it was hard to understand.

The tied-up trio began to rock their bound chairs away from the fire inch by inch. They grunted and shouted to avoid the flames. This noise caught the attention of the Demacian soldiers. They finally reached what was acceptable for a better location before Riven noticed the silhouette of soldiers.

"Our situation has not improved." She said.

Their adjustment had loosened up the ropes and James managed to break free. He soon began to untie Katarina and Riven, though the redhead insisted she could do it herself. The three of them were free, but then noticed numerous soldiers gaping at them. A few were surprised to find the tent on fire.

"KILL THEM!" The Commanding Officer said.

James felt him get grabbed by Riven as she also tackled Katarina to the ground to avoid the arrows.

"This just keeps getting better and better." James mumbled.

The fire had spread to the point where it created an obstacle between both parties. James retrieved his lighter and joined the women at what remained of the now inferno tent.

"Now what?!" Katarina asked.

"You're the genius here, you figure it out!" James replied.

"Enough you two!" Riven cut in.

The white-haired girl grabbed an alcoholic bottle and smashed it. She used the glass to cut open the tent with the three of them quickly hurrying out. The trio of soldiers didn't falter and ran to another nearby tent. They caught their breath but heard the voices of nearby Demacians. They went deeper into the tent to avoid being seen and saw the silhouettes of the soldiers from the burning tent.

"Goddammit they're gone! Find them!""

Footsteps were heard in all directions, but nobody came through the tent the trio was hiding in.

"Alright. They don't know where we are yet." James said. "Either of you have a plan to get out of here?"

"I have two plans actually." Katarina said. "One involves dying."

"Forget about the plan. We'll stand no chance without our weapons." Riven added.

James groaned at this, choosing to take out a cigarette with his lighter. He ignited it and brought the flame to his stick, hearing Riven make a sound of relief after. He looked to see her pointing behind him and he turned to see their weapons.

Riven's large blade, Katarina's daggers, and James's sidearm with his rifle. He looked at her with a smirk.

"Speak of the devil." He said.

The three soldiers took their weapons, glad to have them back in their possession.

"We still have a mission to accomplish." Riven said. "I hope you two don't botch it like earlier."

"I'm sorry how did I botch it? Pretty sure it was her ego that got herself caught in the first place." James said gesturing to Katarina who only glared.

Choosing to not argue, they got closer to the tents entrance. James peeked out to see no soldiers present. Scanning the area twice, he beckoned the two girls to follow. However, upon stepping out of the tent, they were met with three soldiers who quickly drew their swords with them being in a single line. Katarina and Riven prepared to engage with James bringing his rifle up. The man shot the soldier in front of him, but since he was close to the person, the bullet passed through the Demacian and the two behind him. They groaned before falling to the ground dead.

James's look was bemused upon seeing this with Katarina and Riven having the same expressions. All three of them looked at his rifle with disbelief before exchanging glances. Katarina let out a little laugh and patted him on the back.

"What were you saying about your weapons not taking down hordes of enemies?" She teased.

This time James snorted instead of snapping at her. Then shouts were heard in all directions and the Crimson Elites realized that it was the rest of the encampment closing on their location.

"Uh. Uh. Split up! Scatter!" James said.

"Split up?! Are you crazy?!" Riven protested.

"We're Crimson Elites! One of us can handle twenty Demacians alone!" James claimed.

Katarina only shrugged and Riven groaned. The three of them split up, ready to catch their enemy by surprise.

About ten minutes later, the Demacian camp was now in control of the three Crimson Elite soldiers. They tried to keep the last one alive, but he was too severely wounded and succumbed to bleeding out. Not that keeping any alive was obligatory, their mission was to dispose of the camp and its occupants but having one alive for questioning could've had its perks.

Riven, James, and Katarina all met in the middle, the tents burning around them thanks to James's lighter. Their uniforms were stained with blood and they were panting.

"See what happens when soldiers work together James?" Riven asked with a chuckle.

He sighed and slightly nodded to show his agreement. He looked at his hands, glistened with blood. James took a good look at his peers.

"I guess this is why they call us Crimson Elites." He said, making an attempt at a joke.

Katarina tilted her head while Riven narrowed her eyes. It was a good thing they couldn't see James's mouth as he compressed his lips, looking away with shame at the corny joke. Then he heard a slight snort from Katarina and soon Riven. He looked back to see them now chortling. An unseen smile formed on James and he began to laugh as well. The three of them were laughing hard enough to clutch their sides as the camp burned around them. Katarina came over to James and put her arm around him much to his confusion.

"I like this guy!" She said still laughing.

Riven joined them with the soldiers gathering their weapons and heading back to Noxus. James was still smiling under his mask, feeling like he was a part of something for the first time in his life.

"Come on guys, first rounds on me tonight." Katarina said as they paced.

…

* * *

**1 year later**

James was 25 now, sitting in the kitchen of his house. He had one hand propped up on its elbow, the hand on the side of his head with two fingers keeping it up. His other hand splayed upon a book. He was topless, being in a pair of black trousers with slippers. A cigarette idly burned, caught between his lips. He took a pause, taking the stick out of his mouth and exhaling slowly, the smoke curling up into the air before putting it back in.

Being an inventor in his spare time, James had brought a book from home related to Hextech creations. He didn't intend to use it for much, but since he had such a better life in Noxus, he figured he'd make his home more comfortable. James was going over how to create a Hextech television.

Light footsteps were heard from another room. James shifted his head to see his lover Culda Graves coming into the kitchen. She was in a white button-up blouse with nothing else on. If the shirt didn't cover her waist, one would see the black underwear she wore.

"What're you doing up this time of night booboo?" She asked.

James uttered a small sound of amusement. "You know I don't like to be called that."

Culda pouted, but playfully grinned as she came up behind him. Towering over James given her position, Culda gently put her digits on his chin and pushed up lightly to make their gazes meet. James only smirked and took the cigarette out with two fingers, leaning closer to kiss Culda.

They met in a deep and loving kiss, not breaking it for several seconds. Culda could taste some of James's cigarette smoke.

"You really shouldn't be smoking love." Culda said with a joking smile. She went to the cabinet and took out a bottle of red wine. "Drinking is better."

James scoffed at this and Culda sat adjacent to him, opening the bottle and taking a sip from it and putting out his smoke.

"What're you reading there?"

The man did an effortless shrug and closed the book, putting it aside before gesturing to Culda for the bottle. James leaned back, taking a hearty drink from the bottle and passing it back to his love.

"The better question is what you're doing up so late?" James asked.

She tilted her head with another pout. "I felt cold without your muscles to protect me from possible drunks. That's the main reason I keep you around here after all."

James picked up the obvious cynicism in her voice and rolled his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Culda said laughing.

She got up and walked towards him, not giving him a chance to figure out what she was doing before she began to tickle him.

"No Culda, stop it. Stop it!" He said trying to contain his laughter.

"Don't be such a grouchy booboo!" Culda said laughing.

James squirmed to get away and Culda cackled delightfully as she kept chasing him. Running into the living room, James tripped over the arm of the couch and Culda fell with her on top of him. They stayed in that spot as they caught their breath. James tried to draw his eyes away from looking down her shirt as Culda brushed aside a piece of her hair.

"I don't like to be tickled either." He said trying to remain serious.

Culda blew some more hair out of her eyes and planted a kiss on James. She got off him, taking his hand to help him to a sitting position.

"Alright… so to answer your question more seriously, the reason I came down is because I wanted to ask you something." She said with an innocent look.

James beckoned her to speak.

"James… what would you do for power?"

"Huh?"

"What would you do to gain power? You know, political power?"

"Can you elaborate a bit more please?"

Culda almost rolled her eyes. "Let's say if you wanted to become The Grand General of Noxus or The King of Demacia. What would you do to ensure that you'd achieve that position?"

"It sounds like you're implying that I'd have to take drastic measures." James said.

"It's just an example my love." Culda replied.

James cleared his throat. "Well… to be honest, I wouldn't do anything to ensure I'd get that desired spot. To me, the only way to get to what you want is to do it effectively and appropriately. Resorting to tactics such as running other people's lives or even killing a few people is just cowardly to me. I don't quite recall how I got into the Crimson Elite, but I worked hard to achieve it and you know what, I feel fine. I'd have qualms if I achieved this spot any other way."

Culda narrowed her eyes with a smile, lips compressed all the while as she nodded. "I understand."

The man nodded in response. He sat up and offered his hand to Culda, but she gestured not to.

"I'll join you in bed soon James booboo. Just need a few moments to myself."

"Alright. See you upstairs." James replied.

Culda leaned upward with James leaning closer and they kissed again. She watched him ascend up the stairs and smiled with her emerald eyes. As soon as he was out of sight, Culda's smiled abruptly became a scowl.

"Cowardly?!" She whispered to herself. The woman stood up from the couch. "Who does he think he is?! Was I a coward for using magic against kids bigger than me?!"

Pacing angrily to the kitchen, Culda grabbed the bottle of wine and chugged the thing in less than ten seconds. She wiped her now red stained mouth and almost lost her balance. Culda drunkenly went to the backdoor, opening it and stepping outside.

"He doesn't know… what he's talking about." She said slurring. "I will show him that doing anything to achieve… power isn't cowardly, but a… necessity."

She hurled the bottle out into the night and slammed the door shut.

…

* * *

**1 year later**

"I can't wait to try this new invention of yours out James!" A feminine voice said from the kitchen.

It'd been year since James broke it off with Culda after she revealed her true nature about climbing the ranks in the military. One night when Riven and Katarina took him out for drinks, he made friends with a bartender named Jade Fenix. She was appreciative and surprised that he didn't make any inappropriate statements regarding her work uniform and appearance as it was nothing more than a white tank top with silky shorts. He black hair really caught his attention and they hit it off.

Here he was, being 26 now and sharing a home with a woman he knew he'd love for a long time. Jade was a caring, sincere girlfriend and person. When James severed his relationship with Culda, he almost went back into the state of mind he had when he arrived in Noxus five years ago, being a reclusive loner who didn't trust anyone.

One could say Jade saved him.

"Don't get too excited now babe." James said chuckling. "It may not have the best reception."

"Oh James, why must you always try to make everything seem negative?" Jade said with a pout. She sat down on the couch with him, a couple beers in her hand with a bowl of snacks.

"Because I don't like to get my hopes up because if the outcome isn't what I wanted, then I'll be severely disappointed." He replied.

Jade still pouted at him, looking like a little girl who would throw a fit if she didn't get what she wanted. The woman then mischievously smiled. "Perhaps you need to lighten up. Don't be a grumpy Noxian now booboo."

"Please don't call me th-ah!"

James was cut off when Jade playfully tackled him. She was surprisingly strong even for James given his training. He felt her lift up his shirt and press her lips against his abs. James's eyes went wide when she blew hard on his exposed skin and he started to laugh hysterically.

"Goddammit Jade you know I don't like that!" He said laughing.

"Yet you're laughing like a giddy school boy!" Jade replied before doing it again.

James eventually pushed Jade off him with her hitting the couches armrest. She smiled like an idiot at him as the man straightened his shirt. He tried his best to remain serious but couldn't stop himself from smiling back. How could anyone stay mad at an innocent face like hers?

"Oh Jade, I love you." He said with a chuckle.

Jade gave him a look of awe and crawled towards him. "Didn't your parents ever give you raspberries as a kid?"

James's smile went away with his eye contact slowly breaking. Jade immediately frowned at this and put her hands on his chin to make him face her. "Sorry, was it something I said?"

So much concern for his wellbeing. This woman was the embodiment of what he craved all his life. "It's just… my parents didn't give me a proper… childhood I suppose. Pretty much left me in the hands of a sitter/tutor for my days as a child. The reason I was a bit reclusive for the majority of my life. Still am on occasion." James said a bit coldly.

Jade blinked with a worried expression. She couldn't believe she never asked James about this. She leaned closer to him, placing a long kiss on his lips. Their eyes closed with slow breathes escaping their noses. James's hand came up to stroke her cheek and Jade cupped both of his. They finally broke it.

"James… listen to me." Jade said with a serious tone. "I want you to make me a promise." He nodded without hesitation. Jade bit her lip.

"I want to promise me that if anything happens to me. If I leave your life permanently, you can grieve all you want, but promise me you'll find love again."

James's eyes went wide. This was pretty extreme and unexpected. Jade shushed him.

"Promise me that you will find a woman who loves you as much as I did. As much as I do. That you won't return to that reclusive state of mind and personality, trusting nobody but yourself. Promise me that you will not let such an event control the rest of your life. Promise me you'll make that woman as happy as you've made me. Promise me you'll be… happy again." Jade said.

The man felt like he was about to burst into tears from her words. Jade loved him… and he loved her. He took her hand with his and brought it to his chest.

"I promise. I promise you that, Jade Fenix." He said sternly.

She smiled at him and kissed him briefly. Then her smile slowly went away as she changed her position, being supported by her knees and arms. James leaned to give her a kiss which Jade gladly returned. The original intention to watch something on the Hextech television left both their minds as James scooped her up and started to carry her upstairs, the two of them kissing passionately all the while.

Arriving in the bedroom, James put Jade down and she kissed him again while relieving him of his shirt. Jade pushed him on the bed before taking off all her clothing. James unbuckled his pants and proceeded to take off his underwear with Jade pulling it down entirely.

"Make love to me James." She said as she straddled on top of him, soon inserting his erect member into herself.

Jade began to lower herself down on James with a mewl sounding from her. He caressed her toned stomach, moving around back to pull her in for a kiss. Jade gladly followed his motions and their lips met again with moans sounding. The motions she was doing to him were giving her more pleasure than anything else she'd felt in her life. James groaned and gave Jade some assistance with his hands on her side. The woman took them to feel her breasts and James massaged them, playing around with the soft feeling.

"J-Jade. I'm going to-" James said, his voice a bit off.

"Me too. Do it my love." Jade replied.

"Shouldn't I p-"

"No. Do it."

Jade felt herself lose control, a loud moan sounding as she felt waves of pleasure ripple through her body. The woman's sound mixed with James's moan of release, Jade feeling herself get filled by his warmth. Jade fell onto James's chest, completely spent. She looked into his eyes, not smiling, but also giving a look that showed her feelings for him. James weakly smiled and kissed her. Both of them fell onto the bed, Jade resting on James's chest.

"I love you James Holland."

"And I love you… Jade Fenix."

…

* * *

**3 years later (Present year)**

James took a deep breath as he prepared to step into the hallway of the Noxus Capital. He was 29 now, being together with Jade for nearly three years and having lived in Noxus for eight. Today, he received a letter from the higher-ups that he'd been promoted to Commander of the Crimson Elite. He couldn't believe it.

"Here we go." He said to himself.

The man wished Jade could be with him, but she was terrified of crowds and had a twelve-hour shift at her workplace. James stepped into the hallway, immediately greeted by the cheers of Noxian soldiers. Occasional whistles were heard as James paced down the hall. He couldn't help but smile. The recently promoted Commander reached the end, two guards opening the large doors for him to proceed. The sun was shining brightly in the sky as he stepped out on the balcony, seeing Swain. The Grand General turned to James, his bird Beatrice resting atop his shoulder and his demonic hand glowing. Swain smirked.

"Well done Holland." Swain said. "You've surpassed even my own expectations. I'd have thought a man from Zaun wouldn't make it this far. You deserve this promotion Commander."

"Thank you, sir." James said with a nod. Swain gestured him to step forward.

Meanwhile in the crowd, there was a certain woman amongst the mass. Her hair was blonde, eyes brown with a few roses in her hair. She was in a red dress.

"I wonder what all the commotions about. Must be something important." She said with an impish tone. "Something… _big."_

Back up top, James took a deep breath, walking to the podium atop the balcony. Once he was there, the man saw hundreds if not thousands of people below, cheering for him and calling out his name. A promotion in the Crimson Elite was of great value in Noxus. James cleared his throat.

"Thank you. Thank you all very much." He began. "Today I am humbled to be in such a position. To be a Commander of one of the ruthless units in the world! To be charged with the responsibility of leading them and this empire into everlasting glory!"

The crowd cheered louder. The woman noticed this, becoming a bit excited by the uproar. Her dress started to twitch slightly at the bottom.

"Let the enemies of Noxus know this. Never will I falter in battle! Never will I retreat in the face of overwhelming odds! Never will I show mercy to those who beg for it! Never will I defy Noxus… and speak ill of it! With my last breath, I will praise this glorious empire!"

More cheering happened with applause. They watched the man take his leave and the woman was now grinning vindictively. She licked her lips.

"Looks like I have a new victim." She snickered.

James paced through the hallways again, receiving more applause and cheers from the soldiers. His eye caught a certain someone who was pacing towards him. Their look became a smile when they saw James and he did the same.

"There he is! The newly promoted Crimson Elite Commander! Bring it in you bastard!" Katarina said bringing her right hand out. She was in her black leather.

James brought his out and their right hands met, shaking together before bringing their left arms around the others back and patting their shoulders.

"Good speech; nice and short." Katarina said smiling.

"Leaves more time for drinking!" James said.

Katarina burst out laughing at his words and their embracement broke off. Her eyes looked over his shoulders prompting James to do the same. The Commander saw Riven practically sprinting towards him.

"JAMES!" She squealed.

The girl jumped at James and nearly knocked him off his feet, but James held his ground and spun slightly, setting Riven down afterwards. She was in a tan shirt with black pants.

"James you did it! You're now a Commander in the Crimson Elite!" Riven said with a sincere smile.

"My congratulations." Katarina said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Couldn't have done it without you guys." James said.

"'So proud of you!" Riven exclaimed.

James felt her give him a kiss on the cheek making him blush. She gave him an innocent smile and James rolled his eyes with a silly smirk.

"Come on you two lovebirds. It's time to celebrate this special occasion." Katarina said playfully.

The redhead set off with James and Riven following, the man having his hand around the girls' shoulder. Riven smiled pleasantly at him.

A few hours later, they were at the best pub in Noxus, taking a booth and ordering their drinks. The waitress came back with three mugs, the patrons each taking one. They clinked the mugs together.

"Remember today… Commander Holland." Katarina said with a shit-eating grin on the last two words. "Life is good."

"Cheers to that!" James replied.

…

James was stumbling clumsily through the streets on his own. He was drunk.

_"Somewhere beyond the sea. Somewhere waiting for me. My lover stands… on golden sands. And watches… the ships that go sailing. Somewhere beyond the sea. She's there watching… for me If I could fly like birds on high. Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing…"_ He sang with a slur.

Unbeknownst to James, a figure was following him. The same figure from earlier who caught his speech. This man had everything… and he was her next casualty. However, the figure enjoyed toying with its prey, especially with ones like James. The ones who had everything. The longer she delayed it, the better his pain would be when she'd snatch everything from him.

Evelynn was merely just getting started.

James finally managed to reach his house. Taking his keys, the man fumbled with the lock for a good twenty seconds before finally unlocking the door. Evelynn was hiding in the shadows under a tree, the pale moonlight showing James clearly. He stepped through the door but didn't close it much to her surprise.

The man turned around, looking out at the empty street. Not a single person was seen. Yet… he felt that something was off. Evelynn peeked out, seeing him scanning the area. Then his eyes briefly met hers and the succubus immediately went into hiding. James rose a brow and closed the door. Evelynn took a deep breath and looked back, hearing the lock click.

"Sleep tight love. In good time, you'll see… and feel the best pain and pleasure in your life."

…

* * *

Inside James's house, he leaned against the door with his back, taking a deep breath with a sigh afterwards. He heard a hum from the living room and went in to see Jade who was sleeping on the couch. The man uttered a sound of amusement before proceeding to pick her up.

However, when he did, Jade suddenly disappeared. James's eyes widened with alarm.

_"Wake up."_ An unknown voice said.

He looked around, clearly uneasy by the current situation.

_"Please. Wake up."_ The voice said again, this time with a whimper.

"What is-?"

**"Promise me that you will find a woman who loves you as much as I did. As much as I do."**

James's house started to slip away.

**"That you won't return to that reclusive state of mind and personality, trusting nobody but yourself."**

He gasped and blinked rapidly at the changing environment.

**"Promise me that you will not let such an event control the rest of your life."**

Then, everything went dark.

…

* * *

James's eyes slowly opened. He was looking up at a white ceiling in a brightly lit room. He felt sore all over, slowly remembering the events beforehand. The man then took notice of a feeling in his right hand. James slowly looked over, seeing a woman with white hair and blue skin. Her head was laying on its side on his waistline. James recognized her.

"Evelynn." He thought.

"Please wake up." She said weakly. Her throat sounded sore.

James used what strength he had in his right hand to give Evelynn's hand a little squeeze. It wouldn't be enough though.

"Evelynn." He whispered.

The man saw her florescent eyes slowly open. Then just like that, Evelynn's posture was straight as her mouth went agape. A tear slid down her cheek as her mouth twitched with a smile.


	16. Beware The Raven's

Evelynn said nothing as she looked at James, obviously overcome with relief and joy. She showed this by lunging at him and throwing her arms around him. The lashers did the same.

"James! You're awake!" She said whimpering. "I thought I'd lost you!"

"PLEASE. STOP. SQUEEZING ME." James wheezed. "RIBS."

Evelynn gasped and promptly withdrew from him, though she was grinning widely at him. She put her clawed hand on his cheek, happy to feel the heat of it now that he was awake. "Sorry love… I'm just so happy that you're alive." She said weakly smiling now. "Are you… happy… to see me?"

James knew what she was getting at, remembering the grim revelation of Jade's death and him snapping at her. His expression changed to a little frown, but he also recalled the words Jade told him. He was still grieving, but Evelynn seemed like she'd stayed by his side the whole time he'd been unconscious. She cared for him. Almost like Jade did. In truth James was still a bit mad, but it was refreshing to see a familiar face.

"Yes. I'm happy to see you Evelynn." He said.

The succubus titled her head, cooing at the wounded man. A click was heard, both of their gazes turning towards the door to see a woman step in. She was yawning with a stretch and James recognized her.

"Riven?"

Riven's posture went straight and she stayed seemingly frozen for a few moments. She slowly turned her head to see Evelynn and the now-awake James looking at her. The Exile rubbed her eyes for a few seconds before looking back.

"Hey sleepyhead." James said weakly.

Riven took a deep breath, having a deadpan look briefly before it became a smile. The next thing James saw was her pouncing like an animal into the air, landing rather roughly on him and making James's sore body feel abrupt pain.

"YOU'RE AWAKE!" She squealed.

The Exile's muscles were flexing as she squeezed James as constricting as possible, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"RIVEN! PLEASE! MY BODY IS STILL SORE!" James said with clenched teeth.

The girl wanted to apologize, but she was too emotional right now. Finally breaking the embrace, she put her hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry James. I was… so worried." She said before giving him a playful slap. "That's twice now I've almost lost you. Gotta stop scaring me like that."

James huffed with amusement at her words. He looked down to see she practically straddled herself onto him. A tint of red came onto her cheeks and Riven climbed off James. She met the glare of Evelynn, those florescent eyes practically telling her to back off. Riven ignored it, looking at James with a smile.

"Nice to see you two haven't killed each other yet." He said referring to their feud from before.

This reminded Riven that Evelynn had actually saved her from Syndra when she destroyed the building.

"She pushed me off the building before that dark mage, I guess, took it down. We were both unconscious."

James turned to Evelynn who had her arms crossed. "You saved her?"

She gave a half-assed shrug with a careless look. Riven just stared impassively at her before looking away.

"I guess I should say… thank you for… doing that." She said in a low voice, clearly not pleased with the words.

"I didn't do it for you." Evelynn said before directing her gaze to James. "I did it for him."

Riven raised her brow again, half a frown coming onto her mouth.

"Good… you're awake." A voice said.

The three of them saw a woman with a few bandages around her arms standing in the doorway. A dark-skinned woman was behind her. James was familiar with the bandaged woman.

"You…" He said with small astonishment.

Irelia chuckled, pacing into the room with Evelynn choosing to embrace what she could of James in her arms. She recognized this woman from her fight with James and the succubus would protect him at all costs. Riven stood in an intimidating position, feeling the same way.

The Blade Dancer's eyes went left and right. Karma walked into the room with a smile. "It's alright. We mean your friend no harm."

Riven hesitantly lowered her guard, but Evelynn didn't do the same. Irelia walked to the side Riven was on, looking down at James with a rather sincere smile. Something she never imagined she'd do to someone she considered an enemy.

"I guess I should give my gratitude… Noxian." She said. "You managed to bring down The Dark Sovereign." Irelia took a deep breath. "I never thought I'd thank someone from Noxus for a damn thing… but I do thank you… Noxian."

James was very surprised by her words. He remembered the wrath in her eyes as he sparred with her. They almost killed each other but managed to set aside their differences to take down a greater threat. He thought about telling her his real name, but figured he should let that remain his secret. Noxus was still invading Ionia.

"Regardless, once you do recover, I will have a few questions for you concerning the sight of the ruined forest. We have The Dark Sovereign locked up in a specialized cell and she's still unconscious." Irelia said. "You're not out of the woods yet." She chuckled.

…

* * *

It was dusk in Noxus, the pink sky signalling that the next day would bring more beauty and happiness.

Leblanc could use that. In fact, the entirety of The Black Rose could use some of that. It'd been a rough couple of days for the mysterious cult.

Ever since Culda's forces had set the magical wards against Leblanc and her followers, what seemed like an insurgency had taken form, though it was underground, and the population was unaware of it. After they found the use of their magic obsolete, The Black Rose resorted to, as Captain Minh predicted, measures they rarely used to thwart Culda's actions.

Culda had more support than even she anticipated, especially after hearing about the presumed demise of Riven in Ionia during a bitter engagement. She was dissatisfied she couldn't hang her in the middle of Noxus, but it was a minor setback. At first, she heard dozens of instances where her men were abducted by members of The Black Rose. Culda shrugged it off, choosing not to be intimidated by The Deceiver's organization. She had an advantage over Leblanc.

Culda knew that Elise was alive, but she had no way of getting back into Noxus. Not without her taking notice. The Spider Queen was Leblanc's best weapon, but as far as Culda knew, she was over in Ionia.

The woman outfitted her men with armor that was similar, but also weaker compared with the armor Captain Minh wore. They were light red and black, a perfect symbol of Culda herself.

The Black Rose attempted to dispose of the wards, but Culda had her forces patrolling the selected areas day and night. Several skirmishes happened at the sights with Culda's men managing to hold the position while The Black Rose members had to retreat. If they had their black magic, it'd have been easier, but they were near powerless in comparison without it.

For the first time in forever, Leblanc didn't have vision of the entirety of Noxus. To make matters more difficult, Culda was about to set another plan in motion.

…

* * *

Culda was leaning against the doorway of the former bedroom of Balgan Darkwill, now his prison cell with Roland Germez. She examined her nails as she heard snaps and screams inside the room. This made her smirk. Finally, Minh came out of the room, holding a dagger with dry blood splatters on it. Culda smiled and took the object, observing it.

"This is the blade that will awaken him again? Control him?" She asked.

"That is correct my lady. Balgan was certain of that." Minh replied.

"Excellent Captain. Tonight, I will be but one step away from the title of The Grand General. Show Swain he was wrong to lock away his most decorated champion and put that brute Darius in his place." Culda said.

"Madam Culda, are you absolutely sure about this?" Minh asked.

"What's the problem Minh? Have you heard rumors of his size? Does he make you nervous?" Culda snickered.

"N-No madam. It's just that… there's no telling if you'll be able to… control him… entirely." Minh said with evident anxiety.

"Oh, hush up my dear Captain!" Culda exclaimed. "He will be in my full control. He won't even know that he's fighting for me." The woman placed the dagger in a black case and turned to Minh. "Besides… I have you to protect me." She said with a sultry tone.

Minh's mouth opened to speak, but Culda cut him off with a deep kiss. The Captain moaned as his higher up kissed him, loving the taste. His hand went up to her chin but Culda pulled away, pulling his lips briefly with her teeth before letting go. She smiled teasingly at him.

"I want a carriage prepared in five minutes. Have a few of your men assemble and bring cloaks. We're going to the tombs of Noxus." She declared.

…

* * *

Night had fallen in Noxus.

"We're out of options! The woman is seemingly untouchable!" Swain's voice said. He was frustrated.

"If you continue to make outbursts at the slightest inconvenience, Culda will seize the throne much quicker than you'd expect." Vladimir said.

Swain was standing at his desk, Vladimir and Leblanc sitting opposite of him in his tower. The former member of The Black Rose had been annoyed with his allies' inability to take quicker action against his opponent. Darius was standing guard near the door.

"Perhaps living for all these centuries has left you both in a state of delusion and arrogance. You believed your organization was untouchable and always one step ahead of those who would dare plot against you. Yet here you are, unable to contain a woman who's younger than me and has made your magic obsolete." Swain explained with his demonic hand glowing.

Leblanc cackled at this, saying nothing else while Vladimir rose a brow and let out a carless laugh. "Calm down my friend. Perhaps she's proving to be more problematic than we thought, but she won't get through with this. There's another way to do it without merely assassinating her."

Swain put his hands together, resting them on the table. "Please, enlighten me."

Leblanc tilted her hear with a smirk. She knew that Swain would most likely not agree with this suggestion and might even go into a state of rage. "There's Marcus Du Couteau."

The Grand General immediately stood up from his chair, sending it falling behind him. Leblanc and Vladimir remained seated while Darius tensed up.

"Marcus Du Couteau? The one who tried to have his own daughter assassinate me? The same Marcus I ordered you to dispose of years ago without a single trace?"

Leblanc quietly snickered. "Well… perhaps without a single trace is kind of stretching the truth a bit my dear Jericho. Then again, when doesn't The Black Rose do that?"

Swain grumbled. He leaned forward, putting his hands on the table for support. "Are you saying that you didn't kill him like I ordered?"

Vladimir and Leblanc laughed in unison at the question. Their laughs annoyed Swain but made Darius more annoyed and he slowly paced towards them, his axe slightly raised. Swain gestured for him to stand down.

"Oh Jericho, so young and naive." Leblanc purred. "No, we didn't kill him. A man like him didn't deserve to die like an animal in a slaughter house. Instead, we just… teleported him to a location, and that was it."

Swain slammed his hand on the table with enough force to make everyone in the room have a brief headache. After recovering from this, Leblanc cackled.

"Don't worry Jericho… we have no idea where he is now. It wasn't our duty do to keep track of his whereabouts, though right now I think it would've been better if we did."

"Are you saying that Marcus is still alive out there?" Swain asked.

The Deceiver carelessly shrugged. Vladimir leaned closer.

"Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn't. We don't know simply because we don't care, but he was certainly of the stronger assets in Noxus." Vladimir said. "With Holland dead and now Riven, perhaps we should consider seeing if… we can find this man."

Swain sat down, leaning back with a suspicious look. "What has made you bring up this man so suddenly?" He asked.

"Because... not too long ago." Leblanc began as she took out a note. "I received a note on a raven from one of my contacts outside Noxus. And when I say outside of Noxus, I mean near Ionia." She cackled.

Swain only glared back. "You have… Black Rose locations in various places other than Noxus?"

The Deceiver scoffed. "How obtuse of you Jericho. The Black Rose existed long before Noxus or any other nation in the world. We had control of practically the whole world! However, the Rune Wars burned out a significant portion of the locations outside of Noxus. Only a handful remained intact and they're rarely used anymore. We lucked out."

"Go on." Swain beckoned.

"It just so happens that the note contained information that my contact thought would be significant. They're aware of the current situation here with Culda but refuse to become involved in the event this escalates further."

"Escalate further? Oh my, Evaine, are you becoming nervous?" Swain chuckled. He almost burst into hysterics when she glared at him menacingly.

"Moving on, my contact was correct. It seems that in Ionia, someone took down the mage known as "The Dark Sovereign". The interesting part is that it wasn't an Ionian war hero or another mage. Instead… it was a Noxian."

Swain narrowed his eyes. Darius who remained in the back was quite shocked. Leblanc cackled heartily, putting her hand on her chest to show the full hysteria. "What does this have to do with Marcus?" Swain asked.

A devious smirk formed on Leblanc. "It is said that the person defeated the dark mage with the use of blades. And no Jericho, it wasn't the girl who severed your left arm."

Swain blinked a dozen times at the sentence. He became suspicious again.

"What in the world makes you think that it was Marcus Du Couteau that bested The Dark Sovereign?"

"Who else could've done it my friend?" Vladimir said finally speaking up. "You know what Marcus is, or was, capable of. There's no other Noxian who could have taken down the Dark Sovereign."

The Grand General went into deep thought at the new information.

"It doesn't make sense why someone like him would do such a thing against a nation that's at war with Noxus."

"Desperate times call for desperate measure my dear Jericho." Leblanc said.

He chuckled at the words. "They certainly do… Evaine."

"Someone with that area of expertise would be a valuable ally to have during this time Swain. Think about your choices wisely my friend." Vladimir said.

The Grand General thought about the information for over ten minutes, Leblanc and Vladimir staying patiently silent the whole time. He wasn't sure if this was the same man who ordered his daughter to kill him, and he didn't like the idea of possibly meeting him face to face without the urge to strike him down immediately. Regardless, whoever this person was, it'd likely be handy to have him on his side against Culda.

"If I should… have some kind of arrangement to go see this mysterious person… who do you believe would be up for such a task?"

Leblanc and Vladimir exchanged looks before both staring at Swain. Vladimir formed a circle of blood in his hands. "You know what they say… blood is thicker than water." The Grand General's eyes widened again.

…

* * *

Getting into the tombs of Noxus wasn't a problem for Culda. Minh was by her side with a handful of his most prominent men, all dressed in cloaks to help cover them with the night sky. They strode through the dark halls of the tombs, occasional torches lit to keep small light. She found it unusual that there were no guards along here.

"No guards to ensure that the true champion of Noxus never rises again? Oh, the arrogance." Her mind mused.

Finally, the group came across it.

Culda's eyes widened but her mouth remained shut. She was standing in the presence of a blood soaked Noxian war hero. He'd been locked away for years deep underground, seeming like he'd never resurrect again. Culda Graves would ensure that he would.

Sion, The Undead Juggernaut.

"Left to rot because the higher ups on Noxus feared him for his strength. For his lust and thirst for battle and blood." She said coldly. "Pathetic."

"Doesn't he need sacrifices to be resurrected?" Minh asked. A few of his men gulped.

Culda cackled at the question. "No, you ignorant fool! The Black Rose took care of that. All we need to do is ignite him once more."

The woman beckoned for the black case containing the dagger. She opened it and gripped the handle of the blade. A piece of an assumed flag was attached to the bottom of the blade with the color being red. Culda observed it top to bottom. Turning to the silhouette of the large juggernaut, she took a deep breath. She climbed atop the corpse of Sion, her face twitching at the putrid smell of the flesh. Numerous stitches were along his back with a large diagonal line along his front. Before embedding the blade, Culda took a deep breath. Her guards watched her take out her Luden's Echo, aiming it at the dagger.

"Wono-Sin-Sarom!" She chanted.

Magic was fired at the dagger, soon turning its original color to that of a dark purple. Taking a few moments to align it, Culda pushed the blade into the back of Sion's head.

.

.

.

"CULDA GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Minh shouted.

The woman rose a brow before realizing that all of Minh's men were aiming their weapons at the body of the juggernaut. She started to lose her balance when the surface she was standing on began to move. Culda leaped off the juggernaut, landing in the open arms of Minh who put her down afterwards. She looked in the same direction afterwards.

The corpse started to shift, a groan coming from each action, the sound of it gruff and pained. Culda's mouth slowly turned to a grin of bewilderment. She brought up her shaky hands as she paced towards the behemoth.

"Culda be careful!" Minh exclaimed.

**"Boram."** A deep voice said.

Everyone including Culda froze upon hearing this. She realized that it came from the shifting corpse.

**"Boram Darkwill? Is that you?"**

A pair of eerie red eyes slowly opened with another pained groan. A red glow appeared below at the torso of the juggernaut, revealing his tattered pants and a false leg. Culda approached him closer.

**"There is no aching in this stump. When did I lose my leg?"**

Culda took a deep breath. She was directly in front of Sion who was still adjusting to his environment.

"SION- BEWARE RAVENS." She said loudly.

Her emerald eyes met the gaze of Sion's now glowing red hues. Then… he started to glare.

**"BLOOD."**

…

* * *

Katarina was in the living room of her manor, dressed in a red-shirt with black leggings. A hearth was ablaze with the amber light shining and producing shadows of the furniture in the room. The redhead poured herself some whisky and set the bottle aside on the coffee table. She took a sip, sighing pleasurably before her smile went away. A light sound was heard from behind. Katarina rolled her eyes.

"For the fucking love of god, you just can't seem to sneak up on me, even when I'm slightly tipsy." She said before turning around.

Katarina met the shadow of a figure. They paced forward into the amber light from the fireplace, revealing a man in black jeans with a leather jacket. He had on a black scarf with a hat of the same color. Katarina could only see his eyes. She snickered at him.

"Try again buddy. You still have a lot to master before you can be a proper assassin with the skill and experience of me and Talon."

The Sinister Blade's face was suddenly met with a fist. The blow was unexpected and heavy which resulted in her dropping the drink and doing a full spin while dazed. She quickly shook it off and blocked the next strike. Katarina turned the tide and sent three consecutive blows to the man with him being pinned against a nearby pillar. As she was about to send another blow, a slice was heard, and she gasped.

The redhead looked down to see that the far right of her midriff had been lightly embedded with a knife form her assailant. She looked at him with shock and threw aside the weapon. The man brought out another knife and swiped at her. Katarina effortlessly dodged it and sent another punch to him. The man tried to jab her several times before he fatally got the knife stuck in another pillar. She sent another blow, but her second strike was blocked, and the man sent a kick to her torso.

Katarina was sent flying back, sliding across the coffee table and knocking the objects off with the bottle of whisky going into the fire, causing it to become significantly brighter. She stood up, prowling while crouched across from her opponent who was doing the same. She grinned wickedly.

"That all you got?" She taunted.

The man charged her and struck her again. Katarina blocked the next hit and grabbed his jacket, spinning and throwing him through a glass door and onto the outside balcony. He groaned in pain while Katarina snickered at him.

She found him charging her again, but The Sinister Blade was ready this time. He tried to tackle her down, but Katarina put him in a headlock and shoved him against a glass window. She sent blows at his head which he managed to dodge, resulting in Katarina's fists breaking glass panes instead. The redhead slapped the man and pinned him against the wall. With an angry grunt, she turned and threw him with all her strength at the staircase. The man crashed through the wooden railings and rolled down the stairs while groaning in pain. Katarina proceeded to advance on him and lifted him up again, pushing him against the wall and creating a dent.

"I hope you two aren't getting too rough in there." A new but familiar voice said.

The two figures stopped fighting at the sound of this. Their gazes were drawn to see a man in black pants with a white tank top on. His hair a bit shaggy.

Talon.

"No, of course were not Talon!" Katarina said with a seemingly innocent smile.

The masked man groaned and took off the hat, revealing his short brown hair. He soon pulled down the scarf as Katarina released him.

"Your fighting has increased significantly Maddoc, but your stealth needs a lot of improvement. And I mean A LOT." Katarina said.

"Well I'm sorry. I'm good in demolitions, not assassinations like you and Talon." Maddoc replied. "Was the knife a good touch though?"

Katarina gave him a playful glare, feeling the light wound along her toned stomach. Her finger had some blood on it.

"This is my favorite shirt, asshole." She said with fake malice. "The knife was good though. Kind of surprised you did it."

Maddoc was content to hear that from her. He could've used some good words over the last couple days, especially when he heard about Riven's death in Ionia. He looked over at the fire.

"Probably shouldn't have put that whisky on the table Katarina." He chuckled.

She looked too, sharing a little chuckle with the man. The woman beckoned Talon to get another bottle with the assassin rolling his eyes but obliging. With the adrenaline slowly wearing off, Katarina winched as the cut started to feel more painful. Maddoc noticed and took off his scarf, bringing it to the wound he created. Katrina rose a brow but smiled at his actions.

"Thanks." She said sitting down with him on the couch.

Maddoc nodded, leaving her the scarf so she could fully handle it now. He looked at the broken balcony door, sighing.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh… it's just… you know."

Katarina immediately knew what he was getting at. The news of James's death was tough for them both, and Maddoc finding no justice in Jade's murder opened that old grieving wound.

Now he'd lost Riven. The girl he had developed feelings for ever since being put into the same unit. He kissed her, and she kissed him back. The man was despaired to learn she was killed on the battlefield while he was still in the hospital. Katarina had come to know and like Maddoc during this time of distress, offering her friendship and home to him alike.

"Seems like we're at the point in life where it stops giving us friends and family… and starts to take them away instead." She said coldly.

The two of them hugged, taking deep breathes and exhales to fight back the tears that were desperate to come out. Talon entered the room with the bottle of whisky, keeping his sarcastic comments to himself when seeing his sister hugging her friend and fellow soldier.

A knock came at the door. Talon answered it and was surprised to find Darius standing in the doorway. They acknowledged each other by their names.

"What're you doing here?"

"Swain wants to see you, and your sister."

"Tell Swain he can drop dead!" Katarina's voice said in the back.

Darius grumbled at this. "It has something to do with your father."

Talon's eyes widened. Moments later he was pushed aside by a scowling Katarina. Maddoc stood up from the couch, but Talon gestured him to stay.

"What about my father?" She asked with clenched teeth.

…

* * *

"What is your name?" Culda asked.

Sion took heavy breaths. His huge form created a bleak shadow amongst the torches lit not too far down the hall. Culda's men endured battle ready just as a precaution. **"My… My name. It's… Sion."**

"That is correct my champion." Culda purred. "And who do you serve? Who is your true Grand General?"

**"Boram... Darkwi-"**

"NO!"

The Undead Juggernaut winched, thought it was hardly noticeable. He looked around as he thought about his words. **"Cu-… Culda… Graves."**

"And who is your enemy? What did Boram warn you of, Sion?"

**"Ravens."**

"Who controls the ravens' Sion? Who controlled the ravens' that feasted upon the corpse of Darkwill?"

Sion lifted his gaze to meet hers. He growled loudly. **"Swain."**

Culda was very pleased with her manipulation of the undead warrior. She couldn't stop smiling. Now it was time to fully gain Sion's trust.

"Who's the one who shattered the Noxian image of strength and power? The true image! Who has changed it into nothing but mere manipulation, scheming, and underhandedness?"

**"Swain!"**

"Who believes that he shall remain to hold the title of The Grand General of Noxus? Who is the one who seized it from its rightful owner?" Culda continued.

**"SWAIN! AND HIS CULT OF INSECTS!"** Sion roared.

"Is he your general?!"

**"HE IS WEAK! HE IS NO LEADER!"**

"He hides behind his guard dog Darius, the proclaimed Hand of Noxus! He has a bird for a pet! He doesn't have war-hounds!"

**"I. REMEMBER. THIS."**

"Is Swain a coward? Would a strong leader hide behind his guard dog for protection?! Would a true leader show weakness for even a second?!"

**"NO! NO LEADER OF NOXUS WOULD SHOW WEAKNESS!"**

"EXPOSE HIS WEAKNESS! GO TO HIS GUARD DOG AND SLAY HIM! BREAK HIS AXE OVER HIS OWN HEAD! SHOW THAT YOU ARE THE TRUE HAND OF NOXUS!" Culda shouted to the undead warrior. "WHO DO YOU SERVE!"

**"NOXUS!"**

"WHO IS THE RIGHTFUL RULER OF NOXUS! IS IT SWAIN!?"

Sion growled as his eyes glowed. He stood off the ground to his full height. The size of him made everybody cut Culda shiver. She could only look at him with a crazed smirk. "WHO IS THE TRUE RULER OF NOXUS?! WHO SHALL INHERIT THE THRONE FROM SWAIN?!"

The Undead Juggernaut looked down at the woman. His fists clenched.** "Culda Graves."**

...

* * *

"So apparently Swain, who is in a bit of trouble politics-wise, summons us to his tower because of information regarding your father?" Talon asked.

"He's your father too Talon." Katarina replied.

The assassin scoffed at this. "He merely spared my life and chose not to kill me. Not sure I'd call him a father."

"Well he liked you better than me." Katarina said a bit coldly.

Talon chose to ignore further discussing the words. "It doesn't make sense why they're bringing this up now if it's not for the political issues."

Katarina chuckled at this. "Yeah… governments rarely do."

Darius opened the door for them, standing aside for the two assassins to enter the room. They only saw Swain at first, but then saw Vladimir and Leblanc in the ample chairs. Only Katarina glared at the three of them.

"Ah Katarina, my favorite assassin!" Swain said mockingly. "The girl who couldn't kill me!"

A thwack was heard with Swain seeing the edge of a dagger in the right side of his peripheral vision. He didn't even flinch. Darius gripped his axe.

"I am not even impressed." Swain said nonchalantly. "And you missed, by the way."

"You have some nerve asking me to come here with the intention to talk about my father!" Katarina snapped.

"You didn't have to come here if you didn't want to dear. Your sister could've taken your place." Leblanc said.

The Sinister Blade glared daggers at The Deceiver. "Sorry, I tend to get a little livid when the people who sent my friends to their deaths in Ionia have the audacity to talk to me about my father who disappeared years ago, UNDER THE SAME FUCKING RULER RIGHT NOW!" She shouted.

"Katarina! Calm down." Talon said.

"Emotionally distraught. Just like Riven when she found out Holland was dead." Leblanc said with a snicker.

That set Katarina off. She drew both her daggers, diving at The Deceiver who disappeared in a puff. The redhead crashed into the chair and it fell over. Vladimir chuckled at this and Talon's temper flared. He prepared to throw a blade at the Crimson Reaper, but golden chains wrapped around his neck and Darius moved to provide further restraint. Swain ran his normal hand down in annoyance and stood up. He unleashed the demon within and ascended, sending out demonic waves to everyone and trapping them in his grasp.

_"Children, please."_ His voice echoed.

Katarina and Talon glared daggers at the three other figures, Darius only returning the same look with Vladimir and Leblanc smirking. The two assassins sighed and put their weapons away with Swain releasing them from his grip.

"Can we talk like adults now?" He said.

Katarina and Talon said nothing, instead just taking the chairs that Vladimir and Leblanc were originally using and sitting down.

"Alright Swain." Katarina snapped. "Where's my Goddamn father?"

Swain snorted at this and Katarina quickly scowled. "I do not know where your father is." He said, holding up a hand afterwards to halt Katarina's words. "I mean, perhaps I do know… but I can't say if it's really him."

The redhead crossed her arms with her right leg going over her left. "Well I'm listening."

…

* * *

Culda snapped her fingers. Her men nodded and left the dark room momentarily. Sion was standing to his full height, being over 10ft tall. Minh felt uneasy in the presence. Culda's guards returned moments later, carrying a large axe. It looked less refined and showed its age evidently. They precariously offered it to the juggernaut. Sion observed his axe, feeling it's shape and gripping it tightly.

**"This weapon… it's feel. It's shape. It's look. This… I remember!"**

"And you will use it to slay anyone who dares to stand in your way to glory!" Culda said.

**"I will drench it in their blood."**

"Come along Sion. Your first objective of restoring Noxus to its glory awaits!"

**"Battle! Yes!"**

…

* * *

"What do you need me to do?" She said looking away, shame and defeat in her voice.

"I need you to go to Ionia. See if you can find this person. Bring them back to Noxus."

"And why should I do that? Why should I go to the nation that we're invading? What use could this person have for you? And I know it doesn't have to do with strength."

Swain crossed his arms. "There is a good chance this figure could be your father. Though I'd hate to admit it, he was a skilled assassin and soldier. With that person being from Noxus, it's likely to be him. Nobody else could perform such fatal attacks so flawlessly."

"That doesn't answer my question." Katarina snapped.

The Grand General inhaled, looking out through the window. "There's a storm coming to Noxus Katarina. I'm not sure when it will arrive, but it's getting closer and closer each moment. Culda Graves is making significant progress, but that is not what I fear. If she achieves the title of The Grand General, there's no telling what she will do. But I do know that it will be far worse than any kind of reign Noxus has had over the years." He turned to her. "This figure may be our best chance at ending her. To turn the tides and prevent the storm from ever happening. I do not know if your father is this figure, but time is running out, and our options are limited."

Katarina had half a smirk on as she exhaled.

"So, what will it be?"

…

* * *

"Think about what you're doing for a moment, Kat!" Talon said annoyed.

"I have thought about it Talon!" She said as she packed the necessary supplies. "I'm not fond of Swain, but I do know that Culda being declared the ruler of Noxus is something I'm not fond of either! If she gets the title, there's no telling what will happen!"

"Are you sure you're not doing this because it's possible to set things straight with your father?! Or are you actually doing it for Swain?"

She stopped her motions briefly; the words Talon were saying made her stomach feel like it had a blade slicing down the center. Katarina shook it off.

"Just stop talking! I have to do this!" She said, feeling like a tear would leak soon.

"Katarina." Talon said taking her hand gently. She looked down at it, meeting the gaze of her brother moments later. "Please. Just think about what you're doing. You might not return…"

The two of them embraced, taking deep exhales to keep their eyes from watering up. He caressed her loose hair, gently brushing his hand down her scalp. In her right eye, a tear slipped down Katarina's cheek. They broke the hug, looking into their eyes.

"You're my sister. I don't like the thought of you going in alone. You need me." He said.

Katarina smiled sadly at him. "I can handle myself, you know that. I need you here in Noxus brother. I need you to look after Cassiopeia… just in case this situation escalates." She said before looking away. "I need someone I can trust. A brother like you."

Talon's bit his lips, nodding hesitantly to Katarina. She leaned a little forward, putting a small peck on his cheek. The assassin was struggling to hold back a single tear. Katarina slumped the bag over her shoulders, walking to the entrance of the mansion and gave one last wave to her brother.

The Sinister Blade walked to the stable around the manor, entering it and coming across a midnight colored horse. She enforced it with a black harness and guided the animal out of the structure with a lead.

"Just where do you think you're going?" A voice asked.

Katarina turned to see Maddoc who was leaning against the entrance of the stable. He had on a cloak like Katarina. The redhead groaned at what he was implying.

"You're not coming with me Maddoc. I need to do this alone." She said.

The man chuckled at this, moving from his position to reveal that he had a horse as well. Katarina rolled her eyes.

"I'm kind of a stubborn man on occasion Katarina. You have your brother here looking after your sister while you travel to Ionia to find this John Doe or something?" Maddoc asked.

She tried to shrug it off. "Why do you want to come?"

"Because Ionia is where James and Riven met their unfortunate ends." He said sadly. "I feel like you're the only connection I still have to them. And with you going to the same place they died at, I'm not going to let you meet the same fate. Or if that doesn't work out, we'll see them in the afterlife… together."

"Not exactly the most comforting words to hear Maddoc." Katarina said jokingly.

Maddoc scoffed.

"You might as well face it; I'm coming with you." He said smiling.

The Sinister Blade sighed, but hesitantly gave a little nod. The two of them mounted their horses, riding out of the gates of the Du Couteau Estate and venturing out of Noxus.

…

* * *

It was past 1am in Noxus. The sky was cloudy and showed little to no moonlight. It gave off an anxious feeling, especially in a city such as Noxus.

Darius yawned as he walked through the vacant streets. Swain's longer than expected meeting combined with Leblanc and Vladimir left the man tired and irritated. His axe was lazily dragging along the stone sidewalk.

He heard a few footsteps in the distance. Darius turned with a raised brow, seeing a man equal to his size walking on the other side of the street. Darius took notice of the red glowing hues and the predominately onyx colored armor. His eyes widened when seeing the two arm blades. The unidentified man looked at him.

Suddenly Darius was tackled by a couple cloaked figures from an alley. He felt them immediately try to bind him, but the commander quickly pushed them off. Hefting his axe, Darius swung it around himself, quickly slicing down his assailants in a mist of crimson. The armored man charged Darius who prepared himself.

Minh slid under to avoid the deadly axe, cutting the leg of Darius with him only grumbling in minor pain. Minh avoided two more fatal cleaves and parred the axe with his two blades. He tried to push Darius down, but the commander pushed back and forced Minh off. Darius managed to drive his axe slightly into Minh's shoulders with him exclaiming painfully. He stabbed the commander, though his blade barely got through. Darius chuckled and hefted his axe over, sending Minh flying and crashing into a stone wall.

"Defy Noxus and taste your own blood!"

He paced to kill his attacker, but then heard what sounded like a loud thunder clap. It sent a shiver down the commander's spine.

**"CHAAAARGE!"**

Darius heard thundering footsteps behind him and turned to see a large figure charging him with almost inhuman speed. His mouth gaped, and he dove to avoid the figure. A loud crash occurred, and Darius found himself get blinded with debris. His ears were ringing, and he clutched his head with both hands to tend his headache as he staggered about.

Suddenly, the drape on his uniform was grabbed and he was thrown several feet into the air, hitting the concrete wall of another building. Blood trickled from his mouth as he groaned.

**"Noxus suffers no cowards!"**

Disoriented, Darius could see three figures towering over him. One of them was a woman. A woman he recognized from the riot a few weeks ago.

"Culda Graves." He spat with malice.

She cackled at him. Darius looked at the larger figure. He had a dagger in the center of his head, eyes glowing red with a glow of energy in the center of his stomach. Darius was horrified.

"Culda… you fool! What have you done?!" He exclaimed.

"I merely resurrected the true champion of Noxus! The true image of this empire! THE UNDEAD JUGGERNAUT!" Culda said laughing triumphantly. "And with him ridding you of this world, he will rise to glory as The Hand of Noxus!"

Sion stomped on Darius's back, making him howl in pain as the ground started to crack, sinking him deeper down.

**"They'll never find all your pieces."**

"Sion… slaughter him." Culda commanded.

With a seemingly savage war-cry, Sion grabbed one of Darius's arms while keeping his back pinned with his boot. Culda formed a sound barrier before Darius could let out a blood curdling scream. A grotesque ripping sound was heard with Darius's pained wails not stopping. Minh gagged and turned away, taking off his helmet and putting his hands on his knees as he vomited. Culda ignored this as she smiled at the sight.

Sion had ripped off Darius's arm, blood splattering on the walls and he mercilessly began to beat the commander to death with his own severed arm. He tried to weakly shield himself with no difference. Each hit sent minor blood splatters flying with some landing on Culda's face.

She didn't even flinch.

The cries of Darius changed to little croaks as he started to go into shock. When Sion deemed it enough, he threw the severed arm down at it's now dead owner. The Hand of Noxus laid there in a pool of his own blood, his face almost crimson soaked with horror written all over. Culda surveyed the remains.

"Excellent work my champion." She purred. "Come, we've done what we've needed to do for the evening."

**"My General. You lead. I follow."** Sion said.

Culda wiped off some blood that splattered on her face. She couldn't stop smiling at her now bloody hand. It reminded her of that evening when she killed her parents. The evening where she broke free of restraints… and demonstrated her supremacy.

"Oh, mother and father…" She sighed. "…if only you could've seen why you were wrong to restrain me."


	17. Sadistic Love

Irelia took a deep breath, processing everything that James just told her. While he did bring down The Sovereign, he was still from Noxus. And Noxus was invading Ionia. James was still in the hospital, though his wounds had recovered far quicker than one would expect, likely because of Karma getting Soraka to provide additional assistance.

In the room along with Irelia and James were Karma and Shen who was there primarily to check on his wounds. Evelynn practically embraced James, wanting to be as close to him as possible, her legs and arms wrapped around his as she buried her face into his chest, her claws gently playing with his hair as she smiled lovingly. Riven just sat there with her arms crossed, legs having the same effect.

"So… this blue woman here, abducted you and then chose to spare you in favor of getting revenge against someone who betrayed you on the battlefield?" Irelia asked.

"Well, the reason why she spared me was a bit complicated, but yes, that's what happened."

"So if she didn't… abduct you, you'd probably be back in Noxus right now, planning the next attack on our land?" She asked, slight anger building in her voice. James's brows rose, and Karma cleared her throat.

"Irelia." Karma cut in. "That is not the point of his story. There is no need to be hostile."

The Blade Dancer took a deep breath as she crossed her arms, head tilting back at the man she'd sparred with the night before. She massaged her temple while Shen came up beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Irelia looked at him with a weak smile, putting her hand over his and patting it.

"I'm sorry… I'm just… tense. It's not common for me to be in the same room with a person who's my enemy." She said with minor frustration.

Karma could see this and decided to speak for The Blade Dancer.

"So that sight of the forest, it was you, this woman, and another woman hunting down a former Noxian Commander who had resided here in this village?" She asked.

James nodded at the question. "More or less. We learned that he was trading elders for gold and weapons with The Dark Sovereign."

"And these weapons would go back to, this woman named Culda Graves?" Karma asked.

"That is correct." James answered. "And last night prior to our unfortunate encounter, I demanded that I'd be teleported back to Noxus to confront her, despite the precautions."

"Why didn't it work?"

James hesitated to speak. He remembered the demands he gave to Elise and how he almost ripped off her spider leg. He'd been blinded with rage at that moment. "That… I don't know."

Karma hummed in response. Irelia, after being comforted enough by Shen, spoke up again.

"And this Culda Graves? Why do you want her dead?"

James didn't reply, instead just stared tensely at the woman who narrowed her eyes. Finally, he spoke.

"Before you ask, it isn't because she betrayed me. I mean it was for that at first, but now, it's for reasons that concern me greatly, and if you want what's good for Ionia, you're better off letting me go."

Irelia rose a brow before glaring daggers at James. She stood up, pacing to the bed with her fists clenched. "You have some nerve saying those words Noxian. From what I heard last night, you were all for the invasion." She snapped.

"Pretty sure that was out of anger and adrenaline." James replied nonchalantly. Irelia scoffed at this. "Culda Graves has her sights set on becoming The Grand General of Noxus. She'll inherit the title from Swain."

The Blade Dancer laughed coldly at this. "Perhaps this could be beneficial for Ionia after all! This woman can't be all that bad if she wants Swain to step down!"

Riven, who remained silent until now, glared daggers at Irelia and stood up from her position. She took two steps forward, coming face to face with the woman who reeled her head back slightly.

"You want to know what this woman did?" Riven asked angrily. "She not only betrayed him, but she killed his lover as well. I was right there to see it with my friend Maddoc. She had her guard break his shoulder and then pinned me by impaling my hand with a dagger." Riven continued by showing her bandaged hand.

James's eyes tensed up at the new information Riven was providing. He didn't know that she was there when Jade was murdered.

"Riven… you were there?" He asked.

The Exile bit her lip and wiped away a tear that escaped. "Y-Yes I was James. Me and Maddoc… we tried to protect her. We tried to keep her alive. We failed." She said with her voice breaking.

"What did the guards do to her?" Irelia asked.

Riven's lips quivered, recalling the horrid screams of Jade before Culda knocked her out.

"They… they had their way with her. And then… killed her. All while Culda watched with delight."

Irelia and Karma both remained silent. Evelynn frowned at this and James's fists clenched. Hearing Riven repeat what Culda did just pissed him off more. Regardless, he took a deep breath to remain calm.

"This woman is like The Dark Sovereign." James said. "She's hungry for power and will not hesitate to destroy anyone who will try to stand in her way. If she gets the throne, Ionia will likely be reduced to a wasteland and the other nations won't fare any better."

The Blade Dancer took a deep breath as she took in her options.

"I suppose this means you expect us to let you go?" Irelia asked with obvious displeasure.

"He saved you and your fucking village! Pretty sure he deserves to do such a thing." Evelynn snapped.

Irelia's face twitched with annoyance. "If we were to let you go, how would I know you wouldn't return with an army at your back?"

"Alright this is ridiculous!" James said throwing his arms up. "Look, I can understand why you don't trust me, but if I wanted to have this village be destroyed, don't you think I'd have immediately left after The Sovereign showed up? If it wasn't for me, this place would be nothing but a pile of rubble! So, you can bet your ass that I DON'T intend to return here with an army at my back if I could've let a single mage do it in the first place! Alright?"

Irelia inhaled sharply. She looked at James with a deadpan stare. Everyone else remained quiet. James was annoyed at the lack of communication.

"So? What's it gonna be?" He demanded.

…

* * *

"Why did we come here?" Maddoc asked Katarina.

The redhead merely scoffed at the man's words before taking a swig from her drink. "Some of us like to forget about our problems momentarily."

The two Noxians were sitting at a bar in the notorious haven of smugglers and thieves known as Bilgewater. The place was crowded as usual, patrons laughing and shouted with sounds of one or two bottles breaking every five seconds. Maddoc felt a bit uneasy which Katarina insisted was because he hadn't had any liquor. He had to agree.

"Do you think Culda's got anybody following us?"

"Oh, without a doubt." Katarina replied nonchalantly. "I don't care for politics, but after hearing what Swain said she likely doesn't let anybody leave or enter Noxus without speaking directly with them first. There could be a damn arrow aimed at my head right now."

Maddoc was surprised by Katarina's ability to talk about being killed immediately like it was nothing serious. That is why her drinking made him feel more nervous after all.

"Alright so we're leaving after this drink, right?"

Katarina gagged on her drink when she couldn't help but laugh at the question. "No, we're not going anywhere for a little bit Maddoc. It's alright, I have a plan."

The man threw his head back in frustration. Katarina ignored this, finishing her drink and gesturing to the bartender for another hit. Maddoc observed around the bar, seeing a few men looking suggestively at the scantily clad redhead.

"Heads up, got a few guys over there enjoying what they're seeing a little too much." Maddoc said.

The Sinister Blade slowly turned her gaze towards where Maddoc was referring to. She blinked with wide eyes next when seeing one of the men doing an innuendo with his tongue. Katarina laughed at this with a pleased smile, gulping down the rest of her drink before leaving her seat. She strutted over to the table with that sincere smile, putting both her gloved hands flat across and leaning closer to the man, intentionally exposing her cleavage. Maddoc couldn't hear any words, but he did hear the pained yell when Katarina impaled the man's hand with one of his own knives. She slammed his head on the table and spat at him, the other bar patrons looking in bewilderment with some cheering for the redhead. Maddoc snorted at this and couldn't stop smiling at Katarina when she came back, flipping aside some hair that blocked her eye.

"No comment."

She chuckled at him. "You sure you don't want a drink?"

He found that his mood had changed a bit from the scene and Maddoc figured that he could use a bit of unwinding. He nodded, and Katarina ordered two pints.

Soon after the bartender delivered the mugs to the Noxians, an unknown person came up to the bar. Katarina didn't bother looking while Maddoc couldn't help but do the opposite. The person appeared to be dressed in skin tight pants with heeled boots. Her top seemed to be a bit similar to Katarina's, though it was a bit more covered to an extent. Maddoc noticed the bright flash of red hair.

"Hello Sarah." Katarina said taking another sip of her drink.

Miss Fortune sighed as she rested one elbow on the bar, her head soon planting itself on her hand as she smiled suggestively.

"Katarina, always know to make the bars patrons cheer. I must say it made me smile too, though I would've preferred if it wasn't one of my unfortunate crew members." Sarah replied.

Maddoc noticed the woman playfully slip down behind Katarina's rear and gave it a quick slap. The redhead didn't even flinch much to Sarah's amusement.

"Who's the stud?" She asked referring to Maddoc who coughed while he was taking a drink. Miss Fortune laughed at this.

"He's a friend of mine. No further pleasantries needed Sarah." Katarina said bluntly before chugging down her entire drink. She turned to Sarah, putting an arm on the bars counter. Miss Fortune leaned back, bringing up one of her legs and putting her hands to keep it there.

"Now what in the world are you doing here Katarina?" Sarah asked.

"Me and him are looking for someone. We need your help." Katarina said.

"Hmm, someone to show him a good time I presume? Look no further!" She said poking her finger towards her chest.

Katarina rolled her eyes with Maddoc grumbling under his breath as he decided to finish his entire drink in one gulp.

"It's not that." Katarina said. "It's more of a business thing, and you're the only person I can trust to actually help."

Abruptly, Miss Fortune's saucy and playful attitude went away as she changed her posture, so she was leaning closer to Katarina. She bit her lower lip. The Bounty Hunter huffed with a smile.

"Well why didn't you just say so." She said with a serious tone. "Come with me, we can discuss this in my ship."

Sarah got up with Katarina soon following, but Maddoc was a bit bewildered.

"Because… why?" He asked.

"Because it's better to discuss things in private as opposed to doing it in a crowded place full of drunks!" Miss Fortune said, annoyance evident in her voice. "Now let's go."

…

* * *

"I don't like this at all." Irelia said with her arms crossed.

"Stow it Irelia, I'm tired of hearing it!" Karma said, showing rare frustration.

James was up and about, sliding back on his signature armor, doing some stretching motions to get the comfortable feeling back fully. Evelynn and Riven watched him put the bottom half of his helmet on, the only visible part of his body being his hair and eyes.

"We apologize for the damages, but we did the best we could." Karma said.

The man only grumbled in a tone that said he understood and didn't mind. James's back arched as he put his hands on his back, the bones snapping back into place after being stationed for a prolonged period. He noticed Evelynn licking her lips while Riven just weakly smirked.

"Well… thank you. Both of you." James said. "I am forever grateful for your hospitality, despite the talk with you." He referred to Irelia who scoffed.

"You saved our village from The Dark Sovereign. We owe you." Karma said bowing.

Irelia almost puked at this, but deep down knew that James was the reason Syndra was locked up. The Blade Dancer held begrudging respect for him.

"Also, the news of you bringing down The Dark Sovereign has spread throughout the land of Ionia. The people are surprised to learn that you're from Noxus." Karma said. "Just as a pre-caution, there may be dozens of citizens from this village waiting outside to give their thanks and approval along with numerous questions."

James made a sound of amusement. He nodded to the woman. "Of course. I appreciate the warning. Hopefully… we won't be seeing each other anytime soon." He chuckled.

He turned to leave but heard Irelia call him again.

"Noxian!" She said marching towards him. Evelynn tensed up with Riven's eyes widening. James gestured them to stand down. "You may have my thanks and gratitude," She said before putting a hand on his shoulder moderately rough. "…but if I do see you on the battlefield, I will go out of my way to personally execute you." Her eyes narrowing as she spoke.

"If that does happen, Ionian," James replied resolutely, "…I'll see that you don't have a problem doing that. I don't intend to fight for Noxus… not anymore."

Irelia kept that stern expression, showing no emotion. She extended her hand to James's glove. He looked at it silently before moving his eyes up to the azure pupils of The Blade Dancer. He swiftly grabbed it, both him and Irelia shaking rather forcefully not out of hatred, but out of respect. It finally ended with Irelia giving a little bow towards James.

"Good luck." She said.

James did a minor bow. "Thank you, Ionian."

After that, Karma and Irelia made their exit which left James alone with Evelynn and Riven in the room. James was unsure of what to say as he examined his slightly repaired armor. The man noticed Riven do a double take towards the direction of Evelynn and James turned to see that the succubus had changed her appearance. Evelynn's hair was black with a few front bangs colored blue, her skin was a bit of a pale white and her eyes were a florescent blue. He exhaled at this change in appearance, finding it to be quite irresistible. The look reminded him of… of…

"Jade." He said sadly.

Evelynn's brows furrowed as she gently brought her claws to James's hand, lightly squeezing it to remind him that he wasn't alone. James looked down and then met Evelynn's gaze. The man couldn't fathom when he smiled at her and his hand gripped Evelynn's tightly which made her smile. Riven sighed at this which made James turn to her. He remembered what she told him about being with Jade.

"Riven… with you and Maddoc trying to protect Jade, did Culda's men do anything to you?"

The Exile bit her lip. "Not that I recall… but James you have to know that me and him did everything we could to protect her. I'm sorry, I f-failed… you."

"Hey!" James exclaimed, bringing his hand to Riven's chin. "You did your best, it wasn't your fault."

The white haired girl swallowed her strength as her throat swelled up. James let go of Evelynn to bring Riven in for a tight hug that she gladly returned. Evelynn felt minor jealously, pouting at the scene in front of her. James rubbed Riven's back gently which made her smile.

"Once we return to Noxus, we'll make sure she gets what's coming to her." He said looking into her red eyes.

Riven rose a brow and her expression soon changed to neutral. "Wait, what do you mean us?"

James was a bit surprised by the question. "Um, the three of us? Well, actually four if Elise is still at the mansion."

The Exile felt abrupt anxiety. She slightly paced back from James. "James, look. I'm… I'm not sure if I can go back there."

"What?"

Riven's fists started to shake as her breathing heaved. "Don't you remember what I told you? How Noxus had the nerve to bombard their own soldiers with chemicals to secure a village in Ionia?"

James inhaled sharply, almost sounding like a growl before he took off the top of his helmet and rubbed his temple with his gloved hands. Evelynn stayed out of it.

"Look, I need to return to Noxus. There's no telling how bad things will get if Culda is allowed to become The Grand General! If she hasn't already! I need your help!"

"Oh yeah?!" Riven replied snapping. She didn't know why she was so angry. "Did you ever think that despite me being upset and angry over Jade, I wouldn't want to continue living in a place that shows nothing but corruption?! They would kill their own Elite soldiers for even a sliver of power James!"

"I didn't say anything about living there! You don't have to stay there, but I don't think I can do it without you Riven."

The Exile bit her lip. She frowned and briefly looked away.

"Goddammit James! That's just going to get us both killed!" Riven shot back. "They didn't care when Jade was murdered! What makes you think that you reappearing is going to cause any difference?

"So, you're just going to turn your back on your whole world then?!" James replied. "You're going to let Culda be in control of Noxus's military?! What do you think's going to happen if she achieves those goals?! Nobody will be safe from her! You're going to leave behind Katarina and Maddoc?!"

It almost seemed like Riven was about to attack James, but she suppressed the urge to do so. She ran her hands through her hair while groaning in frustration.

"I'm sorry James." She said holding her hands up to signal that she was done talking. "I just thought that after all that we've been through, I thought you'd understand."

A tear escaped her as James watched her leave in bewilderment. He had a deadpan look before sighing and muttering to himself. "Goddammit."

He wanted to go to Riven. He wanted to tell her that he hated Noxus for what they did to her and her unit. He wanted to tell her that he understood, but his emotions had made him blind with rage. James sighed at the choice with Evelynn hesitantly taking his hand. James didn't look at her, but he grasped it tightly.

…

* * *

Riven wiped her nose before sniffling again, her watery eyes becoming a bit puffy as she leaned against a wall, whimpering as she put her hand on her temple, trying to let out her hurt emotions quietly.

"Are you okay?" A familiar voice said.

The Exile gasped at the sound, turning to see the woman who had left them not five minutes ago. Karma smiled sincerely, though with furrowed brows.

"What do you want?" Riven asked with the intention to sound rude.

Karma sighed. "I can sense a troubled feeling within you. You may not be from Ionia, but we are always willing to accept those who no longer wish to harm this nation."

Riven lazily met Karma's gaze. "Why should you care? You don't know what I've done to your land… or your people."

The Enlightened one only hummed in response. She gestured to the crest atop her clothing. "In Ionia, we generally seek spiritual evolution and enlightenment. This object that you see is The Mantle of Decorum. I take it you know what that means?"

Riven nodded slowly.

"I have pledged myself to guide those who are troubled or violent to find peaceful means. Do you seek atonement for your actions?"

The Exile's lips quivered as she looked away. Riven slowly nodded once more. Karma smiled at her.

"That blade you were wielding. It looks like some parts of it are missing. Why did you break it?" Karma asked.

"B-Because it held ties to who I once w-was. I don't e-e-ever want to be that person again." Riven said with an uneven tone. "A sword mirrors its owner."

Karma frowned at this. She gently put her hand on The Exile's shoulder. Riven looked at her.

"What is broken… can be reformed." Karma said.

Riven's mouth twitched with a sad smile and tears started to stream down. Karma put her arms around The Exile, embracing her in a tight hug for comfort.

…

* * *

James hated himself for what he said to Riven, but he felt too upset to talk to her about it. They needed some time apart to settle down. Along the way home, James and Evelynn continued to hold hands much to her delight but figured that she should keep her mouth shut given his current condition.

"Ah, home sweet home." He said jokingly as they finally arrived at the mansion.

They opened the door and entered the manor, James's hand slowly parting ways with Evelynn's. She accepted this with a playful pout.

Suddenly, Evelynn let out a yelp when she was forced against the wall. James's eyes widened when seeing that she was wrapped in webbing and he felt himself get slammed against the wall beside Evelynn. He grunted from the impact and found the sharp point of a spider leg pressed against his neck. James glared with a growl of annoyance at the figure with red hues.

"It's nice to see you Elise." He said sarcastically.

The Spider Queen hissed at the man and threw him down on the floor. Evelynn protested against this, but Elise shut her up when she fired a web at the succubus's mouth. Elise yanked off James's helmet and without giving him a chance to react, Elise put her heeled boot to his throat, choking him with his face turning red. She held it for a few more seconds before releasing, the man gasping for air before receiving a violent blow from The Spider Queen resulting in Evelynn's muffled protests.

"You have some nerve to come back here after what you did, Commander Holland." Elise hissed.

"Maybe if you would let me speak, I could explain!" He retorted, evidently annoyed with her at the moment.

The Spider Queen spat at him before hitting him down to the floor. Elise crouched down again with that murderous glare. James wasn't generally afraid of a lot of things, but right now Elise was scaring him… and he had a hard time blaming her. He resisted the urge to swallow when she opened her mouth to expose her fangs gleaming with venom. Her red orbs showed the same effect.

_ **"Speak, James Holland."** _

…

* * *

Katarina and Maddoc were sitting in the cabin of Miss Fortune's ship. It was stationed in the docks of Bilgewater and the interior was lit with an amber light. Red curtains blocked out some of the light through the window with a red satin bed complimented by curtains of the same color. Candle stands were placed in various places with only a few lit to avoid a possible blaze. A door opened and the two Noxians turned to see Miss Fortune walking into the room dressed in her captain uniform. The Bounty Hunter sat down at the table, taking off her hat that had a large purple feather attached. She leaned forward, bringing her hands together in a business-like manner.

"Now tell me Katarina… what is it that you need help with?" She asked.

"We need your ship." Katarina replied.

"As a means of transportation?" Sarah asked.

The Sinister Blade nodded. Miss Fortune leaned back in her chair, considering her words.

"Well alright… I suppose I could. After all, I do owe you one." She said smiling. "Where do you need me to take you?"

Katarina bit her lip. "I-Ionia."

The Bounty Hunter blinked in disbelief as she tilted her head. An awkward silence filled the room as Sarah looked down, hiding her expression from Katarina and Maddoc. She brought her head back up, a smile forming around her lips.

"BAHAHAHAHAHA! AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH, GEEZ YOU REALLY THINK?! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Miss Fortune clutched her side as her chair fell over with her still laughing hysterically. Maddoc and Katarina exchanged looks before seeing Sarah finally appear again, bringing her chair up and sitting in it before wiping away a tear.

"Oh boy. Geez Katarina, you always knew how to make me laugh." Miss Fortune said.

Katarina glared at Sarah. She leaned closer. "I'm serious. We need you to take us there."

This time The Bounty Hunter titled her head with furrowed brows. She realized it wasn't a joke.

"Oh please, get real Katarina. You know that Ionia isn't fond of people from other locations just sailing up like they own the place." Miss Fortune said.

The Sinister Blade clenched her fists, standing up as she glared at Sarah. The Bounty Hunter kept her composure.

"Sorry to hear that you're having problems Katarina, but I'm not sailing you to a place where my ship is likely to be shot down by the crossfire of Noxians and Ionians."

Katarina huffed and vaulted over the table to meet Sarah who stood from her chair defiantly. The woman prodded her chest.

"You owe me! I'm calling in the favor! Right now!" She said poking Miss Fortune.

Both women were locked in a tense gaze, their glares not breaking, and they didn't even blink. Maddoc gulped at the situation. Finally, Sarah put her hands up to signal the end of the standoff.

"Alright… alright." She said stepping away. "I'll sail you to Ionia, the parts that your country isn't pillaging anyway, under two conditions."

"Name them." Katarina said.

Miss Fortune took a breather. "First, I require a paym-oh." She stopped talking when Katarina put a bag of gold on the table. Sarah smiled at it. "And second… your friend there? He's mine for the whole voyage. I get to have him all to myself."

Katarina rose a brow at this while Maddoc's eyes widened. "May I ask why?"

Miss Fortune smiled mischievously. "As collateral. Just a minor precaution. Besides… it's not too often I get to see such handsome men in this territory."

Katarina only thought about it for half a second. "Done."

Maddoc's expression became shocked and annoyed when he heard this. Miss Fortune winked at him.

"Rafen!" Sarah shouted. A man came into the cabin, posture straight as he waited for Miss Fortune's command. "Weigh anchor and set sail for Ionia!"

Rafen was surprised by this. "Uh... Captain?"

"That's an order sailor!" Sarah shouted.

Rafen nodded and exited the cabin. Sarah turned back to Katarina. "Alright, now that that's out of the way, why don't you leave me and your friend alone?"

The Sinister Blade chuckled with amusement. She turned around, walking to the exit of the cabin. She felt Sarah's palm slap her buttocks, but Katarina again offered no reaction. Maddoc stood up from his seat, pacing beside Katarina with a deathly glare.

"This is bullshit!" He said with gritted teeth.

Katarina avoided snickering, but she couldn't hide a smirk. "I told you I had a plan Maddoc. Besides, you could use some fun after a few troubled weeks eh?"

The Noxian was stopped when Miss Fortune grabbed his arm and she smiled mischievously. Maddoc growled at this.

"Your plan blows alright?!" He spouted to Katarina who exited the cabin, leaving him and Sarah alone. Maddoc felt a hand grab his firm ass, making him turn to face Sarah. "Hey! Hey! Hands off the merchandise!" The words didn't stop Sarah who laughed and unceremoniously threw the man onto the bed.

Katarina's grin grew wider as she paced away. The Sinister Blade leaned over the railings of the ship as it left the docks of Bilgewater. She sighed as the wind blew her crimson hair.

"I'm coming to get you dad. I hope…"

…

* * *

Elise had her arms crossed while glaring at James who was tapping the table with his fingers one at a time. Evelynn was sitting right by his side but didn't make any contact with his body.

"Alright… I suppose I could accept your uh, "Apology"." Elise said with a hint of sarcasm. "However, if you do that again, I will make you food for my spiderlings."

James winced but also nodded. "Thank you, Elise. I appreciate it."

"I'm sure you do you brute." The Spider Queen snapped. "Now… while you and her were out fucking one another," She said giving sways to both him and Evelynn.

"WHAT?!" James exclaimed.

"…I took the liberty to study why my teleportation spell didn't work." Elise continued, ignoring his words.

"Well it's probably better that it didn't work as I'd likely be dead." James said with a little chuckle.

"Hmm, what a pity it didn't."

James rolled his eyes with Evelynn scowling at Elise.

"So, I came to the conclusion that Culda has set up magical wards that are exclusively designed to make the use of Black Magic obsolete. Teleporting is included in that category." Elise explained. "If that's true, then she's likely made life for The Black Rose in Noxus more difficult."

"Ah hell." James said leaning back. "Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to send Germez back alive."

Elise snorted at this. "No, she'd have gotten the message either way. I suppose you just misjudged her strength and her tenacity, foolish Holland."

"Alright enough." Evelynn said stepping in. "Before we can even think about going back to Noxus, we need a means of transportation."

"And a few good hands to help bring Culda down." Elise added. "Oh, which reminds me, where is your little white-haired friend Holland?"

James remained silent while glaring at The Spider Queen.

"Evelynn is correct," He said. "Without any means of transportation to Noxus, we're stuck here." James briefly looked away to think of an idea. "What about boats?"

Elise cackled at the suggestion. "Such a naïve Commander! How did you even get into The Crimson Elite my dear Holland? Every combat vessel in Ionia is busy fighting the invading armadas from Noxus and the non-combat vessels are likely being stowed away until the war is over."

James let out a heavy sigh, putting his head in his gloved hand as he processed the words. He let out a forced chuckle. "So that's it then? We're just going to sit here with our thumbs up our asses while a psychotic bitch takes control of one of the most powerful armies in the world?"

Elise gave a carless shrug with a sheepish smirk. Evelynn just bit her lower lip. James let out a yell of frustration and slammed his fists on the table, making the plates clatter and both women jumping slightly. He stood up with the chair falling over in the process. He sighed as he rubbed his temple. "So that's it then I guess. It's over. We're all fucked."

The Commander didn't wait for a response; he just paced angrily out of the kitchen. Elise and Evelynn said nothing, though The Spider Queen could only snicker. "Such a weak-willed fool! Blinded by emotions and frustration."

Elise expected a response from Evelynn. She got nothing. The Spider Queen turned to see that Evelynn was gone and she rolled her eyes. The woman went to a cabinet, taking out a bottle of wine and a glass. She briefly looked at the glass and shrugged before throwing it aside. She popped the cork off and gulped down the wine.

…

* * *

James was in his bedroom, looking out through the window at the sunset over the beautiful land of Ionia. He had taken off his helmet, allowing his full face to be visible. He compressed his lips before taking something out of his armors pocket.

"Jade…" Was all he could say as he started at the photograph. It was one they took a year after their first date to celebrate. He put his fingers below her face, a tear escaping his eyes as he could only smile back at her. James then turned the picture over, seeing the text that was written on the back. **_"So you always have me with you... I love you, James... Always, Jade."_**

The man couldn't stifle another tear. He put the note back into his armors pocket, resting his head against his arm, closing his eyes as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"James."

A deep inhale sounded as James closed his eyes and compressed his lips, trying to hide the fact that he'd been crying slightly. Evelynn pouted almost at the sight of this. She carefully stepped into the bedroom, her hands at her midriff giving off a shy look. James slowly turned around, seeing Evelynn and forgetting the fact that she changed her appearance. Those blue florescent eyes with that black hair colored blue up front with the bangs. It almost reminded him of… Jade.

He shook himself out of that thought and Evelynn paced towards him. Her blue glowing talons gently traced his chin, lifting his gaze to meet hers.

"Can we talk? Please?" She cooed.

"About what?" James retorted.

Evelynn blinked in disbelief and her lips formed another pout. "About you kissing me not too long ago."

James gritted his teeth, trying not to look at Evelynn, but it was futile.

Why did he kiss her? Why did he kiss her after finding out that Jade had been killed? James felt like a bastard for doing it and he soon got a splitting headache as he tried to find the reason as to why he did it without sounding like a weak excuse.

"It was… a mistake. I'm… I'm sorry." He said. "What a pathetic excuse you bastard."

Evelynn couldn't stop pouting again, becoming a bit annoyed by this. "I'm sorry about your loss James. I really am." She said swallowing to loosen up her sore throat. "Jade seems like she was a wonderful woman."

The man sighed. "All she ever wanted for me was to be happy. And all I wanted was her to be happy as well. She saved me from myself… and I couldn't do the same for her."

Evelynn's brows furrowed. "James… please, sit down." She said patting the blue bed.

James figured what else he had to lose and sat down beside her. Evelynn adjusted her position so that she was supported by both her arms and knees. She cupped his chin with her claws but didn't kiss him as one would expect.

"James, look into my eyes." She lightly commanded. "Tell me… what would make you happy right now? What would Jade want in this very moment?"

"What good is that going to do?" He asked. Evelynn only gave him an exasperated look. James exhaled loudly, looking ahead with a deadpan stare as Jade's words started to echo.

_ **"Promise me that you will find a woman who loves you as much as I did. As much as I do. That you won't return to that reclusive state of mind and personality, trusting nobody but yourself. Promise me that you will not let such an event control the rest of your life. Promise me you'll make that woman as happy as you've made me. Promise me you'll be… happy again."** _

His eyes slowly opened, turning his head to meet the face of Evelynn. Her blue eyes glowed in anticipation for his answer.

"She'd want me… to be happy again. To find a woman who'll be as happy as I made her. As happy as… she made me." James said breathlessly.

Evelynn smiled inwardly. "You know James; you don't have to look far ahead for that woman you can make happy. But about you being happy… that is up to you." She leaned closer with their noses touching and foreheads coming together. Evelynn closed her eyes as her breath became bated.

The Noxian's eyes couldn't dart away from Evelynn's chest. It was concealed by a presumed black bra, but James figured those were just shadows. The changed skin color allowed him to take in her features more clearly. Her ample mounds, her thick thighs, perfect curves, and a lovely round ass that looked like a pillow.

But it wasn't the features that made James feel something with her. It was her… kindness one would assume.

From the old stories he heard, Evelynn was a hedonist and stimulated pleasure from subjecting unfortunate victims to unspeakable torment and likely feasted upon their organs in the process. He presumed her reason for sparing him was because he pleasured her so good, but now, it was more than that. Their time together had changed to something different. James showing his darker and colder side must've made Evelynn see him in a new light, and she undoubtedly developed something else for him that night.

And James felt something for her too… he just wasn't sure if it was what he wanted.

The man's thoughts were interrupted when Evelynn let out a sigh of disappointment. She glared at him and stood up, practically stomping out of the room and leaving James alone.

James breathed slowly, closing his eyes as he hesitantly took out the photo of him and Jade again. He stared at it for two minutes before slowly looking up at the open doorway to his bedroom.

He kissed the picture and folded it up before putting his hands on his knees for support as he stood up with a stretch. He straightened his posture and walked out of the room.

…

* * *

Evelynn sighed as she leaned against the door inside her bedroom, crossing her arms as she looked up at the ceiling.

"What were you thinking Evelynn? Why did you ever think that this man would fall in love you? He has no reason to love you. You have to remember what you are, and that what you are is all you're going to be. There's no such thing as love! Why did you even tell Elise that you loved him?!" Her mind demanded.

A knock came at the door, slightly startling the succubus.

"Evelynn?" James's voice said.

The woman's shoulders slumped with an expression of bewilderment… and hurt.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk…"

Evelynn stayed silent, looking with no emotion at the door. Pursing her lips together, the woman unfolded her arms and opened the door, beckoning James to step inside.

"What is it you want James?"

James looked down briefly at the floor, slowly bringing his gaze upward as he studied Evelynn's figure. He met her blue eyes and gently moved his hand to brush aside a blue bang that had slightly covered her. Evelynn did everything to avoid shuddering at his touch.

"I don't know why Evelynn… but me kissing you? It wasn't a mistake…" James began, his voice soon becoming a little croaked before clearing his throat. He soon chuckled with a cough. "It's so strange to me. My voice tries to convince me otherwise, but my entire body disagrees."

Evelynn's eyes slightly widened. She practically pressed her body against his armor, looking up at James agape. "What is it James? You can tell me."

"No matter how much I try to ignore it, no matter how many times I try to use my anger to deny it, I have feelings for you… and you obviously return the same to me. When you held me as I was bleeding out on the ground, I felt nothing but peace amidst the pain. When seeing you laying in front of me when I was recovering in the hospital, I felt a connection to you. I felt comforted, and that I wasn't alone. That there was still… part of Jade in my presence."

Evelynn's breathing became bated again. She wasn't sure what to do for a few moments before getting an idea. Her right hand made its way to James's, and soon, their fingers intertwined with each other. James looked down at the action and met Evelynn who smiled at him, though it had a hint of sorrow.

"James, I… I didn't think it was ever possible for me to feel this way. My nature has always been voided of love… but now… I realize that it isn't." Evelynn whispered. "Because I love you…"

The woman pulled him in and James slowly he closed his eyes, his lips meeting hers in a blissful harmony. It was a soft, gentle kiss, and despite Evelynn's nature, it didn't have any lust involved, but it did have passion. The two of them broke it, Evelynn's florescent blue eyes becoming a little brighter momentarily as she looked at James, feeling like this was the first time she'd ever seen him. James felt the same way. The man looked over to see Evelynn's claws gently pulling off his glove. He gave her a raised brow, but his body soon felt heated inside. Evelynn leaned closer to his ear.

_"Love me."_

Evelynn tugged on his armor, giving him the hint to follow her. James chose to reach up to the collar of his armor. An unclasping sound was soon heard with the entirety of James's upper body armor hitting the floor. He had on a white muscle shirt, sweat visible due to the likeliness of being in such a condensed space.

He met with Evelynn's lips in another kiss, this time taking in the sweet taste she provided with James having the same effect on the succubus.

Although she typically demanded to be in control of all situations, Evelynn found herself all too willing to allow James to take control momentarily of their position. Seconds later, Evelynn's leg bumped up against her bed, causing her to momentarily break their locked lips as she temporarily lost her balance. James, however, was entirely relentless.

Without allowing the succubus to right herself, the Noxian pushed the lusty demon down onto the surface of the bed; her hair sprawling about the blankets beneath her in a tangle of black. Finally understanding that they had reached her bed, Evelynn pushed herself backwards slightly, moving towards the center of the bed to allow as much space as possible for what was about to happen. James wasted no time in following the woman. Engulfed in his own passion, James mounted Evelynn, the pair hungrily seeking each other's touch. However, the Commander felt a little nibble on his lip and Evelynn giggled.

"Careful, I'm a biter."

At first, she heard a growl, but James let out a rough chuckle and Evelynn felt one of his hands on her ample mounds. She released the shadows covering her chest and sacred part, rendering herself fully nude to the man on top of her. Evelynn felt James attack her breasts, planting a kiss on one of them with his hand gently cupping the other one. James was almost shocked by the feeling of Evelynn's mounds, using his hands to squeeze the doughy flesh and making her writhe with an agape mouth.

"That's it!"

Evelynn's claws went around to James's back. She knew that trying to get the clothing off the usual way would be annoying, so she dug her talons into his back and dragged them apart, ripping open the back of his shirt while leaving shallow cuts along the skin. She heard James hiss at the pain, but he didn't stop his work on her chest. Light blood trickled through the wounds Evelynn left and she licked her lips at the scent of the crimson fluid. James allowed Evelynn to sit up straight where their mouths met in another kiss. When they broke it, a string of saliva was briefly seen before falling down on the sheets.

Evelynn and James looked into their eyes. She considered charming her next kiss with allure, but the woman didn't have to. James's eyes didn't show resistance and she preferred the different colored pupils instead of the crimson eyes.

"James... are you…? Your…?" She said pointing down towards his crotch.

He looked down too, but he croaked on the answer. Evelynn giggled and kissed him while pushing him down on the sheets, the blood on his back smearing onto him and staining the pink sheets. James knew what she was getting at and unbuckled the armored pants, but Evelynn pulled them down. James looked at her with shocked eyes while she just gave him a wink with a slutty look. He became a bit nervous with the sight of her fangs, but Evelynn put a glowing blue clawed finger on his mouth to shush him.

"Shh, no words, just moans love." She whispered. The succubus pulled down his underwear, throwing it aside carelessly.

James groaned to speak, but he involuntarily gasped with his back arching when Evelynn took in every inch of his erect cock, looking up at him as her tongue swirled around his length.

"E-E-Eve-Evelynn…" He choked on his words.

Evelynn purred and sucked James off as much as she could, inch by inch he grew until she had to pull back. She couldn't help giggling a little at how vulnerable The Noxian Commander James Holland looked in his current position.

"It's so… big." She said pulling out briefly.

James grunted as Evelynn took him in her mouth again. He couldn't stop a little amount of pre-cum escaping onto the tip and delivering a new taste to Evelynn. The taste was salty, and it only made Evelynn want more. She drew back out and played with the tip of James's cock, gently putting her thumb over it and spreading the pre-cum across the tip, giving it a glistening look. Evelynn went back to bringing his shaft into her throat. As she pulled back out again, she felt James's hand on her black hair and gently pushed her back. When she reached the end of his member and pulled back out, James pulled her back in. It was a steady rhythm that the man soon felt take its toll.

"E-E-Evelynn… I'm… I'm gonna…" He couldn't even finish a sentence.

Evelynn again purred with delight and her blue eyes met James's, not breaking the stare as she bobbed her head on his cock. The man arched his back as he grunted, his cock throbbing before it released its load into Evelynn's mouth. Several warm splashes shot from the Noxian's member and leapt into the back of Evelynn's throat, quickly filling her mouth with his hot essence.

James's body went limp as Evelynn removed her lip from his cock, giggling as she cleaned herself up. The man's chest rose and fell with steady breaths as Evelynn crawled to lay beside him, smiling as she rested her head on her hand.

"You taste delicious my dear James." She purred.

He couldn't give a response making Evelynn sigh with fake disappointment. "I thought you'd last longer."

James snorted, and Evelynn proceeded to seize her chance. She straddled James, sitting on his abs before leaning down and cupping his face as she stared lovingly into his eyes. He tried to find words, but he couldn't seem to find the appropriate choices. Evelynn actually felt the same way. She delicately put a sharp finger on his chest, dragging it across to leave a red line. James grabbed her hand abruptly, glaring at her and Evelynn tilted her head with a pout.

"Perhaps… it's my turn for some fun." He said.

Evelynn felt James's lips crash into hers albeit roughly, making her eyes widen in surprise, but she soon embraced him as she moaned. His tongue explored her mouth, Evelynn's tongue fighting back against the intruder but ultimately choosing to let him win. The next thing she knew, James scooped her up in his arms and he was standing at his full height, Evelynn locked onto his body with a smile.

"Hmm, I'm very glad I didn't kill you during our first encounter." She teased.

James chuckled in agreement. Their lips met again in a passionate session as James got off the bed, pressing Evelynn against the wall with her being trapped between it and him. He felt her drag her claws down his side, leaving angry red marks and he growled at this. The man's arousal had briefly awakened an inner beast and he slapped Evelynn's ass. The flesh jiggled in his hand and she threw her head back with an orgasmic cry.

"Yes! Yes!" She exclaimed.

James repeatedly spanked Evelynn again and again, rendering more groans and cries of pleasure from her. The red marks James left on her ass were more visible given her skin color having changed. Evelynn was rather surprised by James's actions and she gave him a wide grin.

"Oh my, James! I thought only this part of you existed with a charm!" She squealed as he hit her again.

The man couldn't believe it either. Perhaps the time he spent with Evelynn made some of her sadistic nature rub off on him. Regardless, he didn't want to stop.

With the woman pinned against the wall, James mischievously smiled when feeling Evelynn's aroused womanhood. His fingers came back up, a little coated with Evelynn's fluid. He rose a brow at her with half a smirk and looked down at her visibly wet entrance. James abruptly shove his erect manhood into her making Evelynn gasp with pleasure again.

"James…"

The man actually chuckled lightly at this, choosing to tease Evelynn a little bit more. The lust had taken over his mind and he felt like he'd been charmed again. James wanted to tease Evelynn a little bit more. He pulled out and casually stroked Evelynn's womanhood with his finger again, making her growl at the release she was being denied.

"You… **SADISTIC BASTARD!**" She hissed.

Evelynn became her true form, the lashers coming out and pushing her off the wall with James's eyes widening in surprise. She pushed him away and practically pounced him with both of them falling onto the bed that emitted a squeak. Evelynn's original form came back, her blue florescent eyes with her black hair. She straddled herself onto him, but James changed the position with him on top. Evelynn was breathing heavily with her disheveled hair and James figured he should stop trying to tease her.

The Commander plunged inside of Evelynn and she moaned wantonly through the room. Sweat dripped from James as he ramped up his speed, roughly shoving his cock back into Evelynn, feeling her walls hug it as tight as possible before he pulled out again. James could tell Evelynn was close and shifted his position, so his member could get to spots where he deemed to be more sensitive. One hand was around Evelynn's back, the other one gripping her nice, soft rear. James gave it a few squeezes before spanking it harshly and that sent Evelynn over the edge.

She came, but that didn't stop James from continuing his motions and eventually, he filled the succubus up with his warmth. Evelynn's mind went numb as James drew her orgasm out as much as possible. The woman dissolved into a mass of shadows and James blinked in bewilderment for a few moments before feeling a presence behind him. He felt Evelynn's hand entwined around his chest with her legs wrapped around his midriff. Regardless, both of them were panting heavily from the intercourse and didn't speak for a few moments. James felt Evelynn's claw on his cheek and she slowly pushed him to face her.

"Finally… a man who can satisfy a woman like me. You sadistic bastard." She said with a wide fanged grin.

James only hummed as an affirmation. Evelynn shifted her weight and James fell onto the sheets with her. The succubus climbed on top of him, resting her head on his chin, utterly spent. James absentmindedly stroked her black hair with Evelynn purring quietly.

"Sleep with me." She murmured.

He slowly nodded, putting his arms around her to give extra warmth. Evelynn smiled as her eyes closed, knowing that she'd found something that she never imagined existed for her, but found its way into her life.

She'd found love.

The succubus could only hope James would return the same feelings in the long run.


	18. A New Reign Begins

Tapping was heard from each finger as they contacted the wooden table one by one. Culda was sitting in a chair, her head propped on her elbow as she smirked mischievously at the cloaked figure across from her. The woman was dressed in a black and red skin-tight suit with a jacket of the same color. Her eyes had black makeup on. Minh was by her side, dressed in his unique armor with a straight posture, seemingly relaxed.

"Hmm, I must say I'm quite surprised you came here alone, Jericho." Culda said breaking the silence.

The man looked up a bit higher, revealing himself to be Swain. Some of his grey hair had escaped the hood which he flipped down to let the rest of it flow freely. It was late at night in the amber lighted living room of the manor.

A conversation with Leblanc and Vladimir had led to Swain choosing to come here. After finding out that Darius had been brutally murdered, Leblanc was actually concerned for Swain's safety, but still held that cocky expression.

…

* * *

_"What you are asking of me is absolutely suicidal Evaine!" Swain exclaimed._

_The Deceiver ignored the evident anger in The Grand General's voice. She swirled around her wine glass a little, her eyes watching the liquid moving at the motions. Leblanc took a gulp before responding._

_"So is taking on Culda Graves even after she murdered one of your closest allies Jericho! If she can murder him and cover it up from the public, what makes you think you have a chance?!"_

_The change of tone in the woman's voice made Swain flinch a little. Leblanc was always cocky, a little sarcastic, and usually playful. However, when she was angry, one could tell by her tone. Regardless, Swain stood his ground._

_"You are asking me to step down as The Grand General of Noxus! You realize that this means Culda wins, right?!"_

_"There's a difference between letting somebody win and choosing to retreat to fight another day my friend." Vladimir spoke up. "Aren't you forgetting that we've sent the daughter of Marcus Du Couteau out to bring him back?"_

_"You don't know if it's really him or not." Swain replied with a glare._

_"No matter Jericho, once Katarina returns with that Noxian, it will be a guaranteed victory over Culda." Leblanc said. "With our combined allegiances, we will finally have an edge over that woman and expel her from the throne."_

_"Combined allegiances?" Swain asked with amusement. "Look at the work you and Vladimir have done. It's done little to nothing in stopping Culda."_

_Leblanc and even Vladimir glared at Swain. The room fell silent for a few moments._

_"It is unwise to steer your allies the wrong way during a time such as this Jericho." Leblanc snapped._

_Swain snorted at this, but deep down, he knew that he should stop showing his frustration towards those who only want what's best for him._

_Well, probably more what's best for them and their agenda, but Swain and The Black Rose were in the same boat._

…

* * *

"You've lost Swain." Culda said mockingly. "Not even your little cult of murderers and century old mages could stop me from getting this far. Now… you've lost your little guard dog Darius, though I do offer my deepest sympathies."

The Grand General glared at Culda who laughed at the expression. "Calm down old man. I'm just reminding you how you let me get this far by using your ignorance against you."

Swain rose from his chair, the demonic hand glowing with Culda rolling her eyes. "You murdered him you coward. You'll resort to underhanded tactics to get what yo-"

"Oh shut up you fool!" Culda snapped, standing up as well. "You really believe you're in any position to spout me for my actions? Where would you be without your little girlfriend Leblanc? I suppose her not having The Spider Queen around to do her dirty work kind of limits your choices huh? I suppose that's why she and that… vampire I presume, didn't join you here. Must be hard for them to accept that for the first time… they don't have full control over Noxus."

The man said nothing. Culda strutted towards him. Upon arriving, she slapped him to get his attention. "Tell me Jericho, where are they?"

He didn't answer. Culda could've forced him to say it but decided not to. She paced away from him as she continued to scold him.

"There's a lot of unrest in Noxus now Swain… and it's all because of you. Darkwill started the invasion of Ionia, and you tried to finish it, but just ended up getting three of your most decorated soldiers killed along with an unfortunate death here too. First Holland and Vermelo, then Riven, and now… Darius." She mused. "It's only a matter of time before you lose your grip on your power Swain. I am merely offering you the chance to avoid humiliating yourself any further."

She snapped her fingers and Minh nodded, moving to grab a box in the shadows. He brought it to Swain, opening it after setting it down. The General leaned to see a piece of paper in the box.

**LETTER OF RESIGNATION**

"You may want to get around to writing that Swain. Each moment that passes is the door of The Black Rose's survival slowly closing, and I'm not a very patient woman." Culda said looking out at the window.

Minh slammed an inkwell on the table with a feather in front of Swain. Culda didn't bother turning around and she hummed when not hearing the faintest sound of a makeshift pen not contacting the paper.

Then… she heard it.

And she couldn't spare a toothy grin.

…

* * *

A creaking was heard as the ship slowly sailed across the waters. A few lanterns were lit up and allowed the crew members to traverse across the deck with the pale moonlight lighting up the water. It was another peaceful night.

Katarina was the only one on the ship who was awake, outside anyway. She couldn't bring herself to sleep. The Sinister Blade bit her lip, closing her eyes as she winced and reached into her pocket. Katarina took out an old, tattered photo. In the photo was a little girl with red hair… and a man with a stubble beard. His hand was on the girls' shoulder.

"Father…" She droned on.

…

* * *

_"I told you, to assassinate… DEMETRIUS." General Du Couteau said with emphasis on the last word._

_Katarina looked down, not daring to meet the gaze of her enraged father. She'd shamed him, and their family name._

_"Look at me." He said. Katarina hesitated. "**LOOK. AT. ME.**" His voice thundered._

_The young assassin slowly looked up, finally meeting the eyes of the man. The next thing she knew, a sharp pain was felt across her cheek and her head jerked to the side. She didn't make sound of pain, nor did she even wince. The General clutched her jaw harshly and pulled her up._

_"This is the last time I will ever look you in the eye Katarina. This is the last time I will ever address you as my daughter. You're nothing but a laughingstock. I want you to remember, Katarina, all the years to come... in your most private moments... I want you to remember losing my favor. The one favor that only mattered, and that no matter what you did, you could never, ever, regain it. Get out of my sight."_

…

* * *

A tear dripped onto the paper, Katarina soon folding it and looking out at the water to get the image out of her mind. She put her hand on her head in frustration and massaged her temple.

Meanwhile inside the captains' cabin, a rustling of sheets was soon heard.

"Mmm, that was nice." A feminine voice said.

Maddoc rolled his eyes, choosing to offer no vocal reaction to the woman's words. He casually slid off the bed, putting on his boxers swiftly.

"Where ya going?" Miss Fortune asked.

"I need some fresh air." Maddoc replied.

Sarah rolled her eyes, sitting up and propping her chin on her elbows with the sheets sliding off, revealing her bare chest. "Well, someone's certainly cranky."

Maddoc rolled his eyes again, turning to face the redhead who chose to stand up, putting on some undergarments before getting comfortable in the bed again. "Sorry, tends to happen when a friend of mine sells me to a slut who captains a ship." He snapped.

Miss Fortune's playful smile abruptly went away. She got off the bed, marching towards Maddoc who soon regretted his words as he clumsily paced backwards. She grabbed one of her unique pistols, pressing the man against the wooden wall and bringing the weapon to his chin.

"Watch your mouth kid, or this cabin's going to have a dash of red to its color." She spouted.

Maddoc gulped and a line of sweat dripped down. Miss Fortune held that position for a few moments before lowering the weapon and bursting into laughter. Maddoc raised a brow as he calmed himself down.

"Relax sweetie, I've been called worse!" Sarah said walking away, setting aside the gun. Maddoc let out a huge sigh of relief. "You thirsty?"

The young man didn't have time to answer when Sarah poured both of them a glass. She paced back to him, offering him the glass. "Come on, consider it to be a token of my apology for making you fuck me. Though I don't regret it either."

His shoulders slumped with an exhale. "How do I know it's not drugged?"

Miss Fortune rolled her eyes and leaned her head back, drinking half of Maddoc's glass and gulping it down. Maddoc grumbled and snatched the glass from the grinning redhead. He chose to get dressed before drinking and sat on the bed beside the pirate hunter who was still in her underwear, twirling a strand of her long hair with a sultry smile.

"So, who's in Ionia that makes you and Katarina so eager to sail there? Must be someone pretty important if it's a nation your country is invading." Sarah said, taking a sip of her drink.

Maddoc huffed at the question, taking a swig before answering. "I'm not sure if I should tell you. Actually, why are you just asking this now? You could've asked this back in the docks."

"I did, but I was too distracted by these." Sarah replied quickly putting an open palm on his shirt, feeling the toned muscle. Maddoc growled in annoyance and shoved her hand away with the redhead laughing. "No, in all seriousness, I generally don't care, but when there's a risk of my ship being blown up along with a hefty payment of gold, I think it's fair to ask that type of question."

The man chuckled with a shrug, giving the indication that she had a point. He wasn't sure if he should tell her, but Miss Fortune and Katarina seemed to have a history together. He could only hope that the redhead wouldn't kill him.

At first, he told her only that they were going to Ionia to possibly see if the person who brought down The Dark Sovereign was truly Marcus Du Couteau. Miss Fortune was usually a saucy and rambunctious woman, but this shocked her.

"Well… that's gonna be an ugly can of worms." She said getting up from the bed.

"Wasn't sure if I should've told you that." Maddoc said nervously.

Miss Fortune didn't say anything else. She actually chose to get dressed into her captains' uniform again, minus the hat. She picked up one of her guns, aiming it ahead and examining the object. Maddoc gulped a little.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you choose to come along with her? No offence, but you don't seem like assassin material. Doesn't she have a brother who's an assassin?"

Ignoring the first sentence, Maddoc told Sarah his reason for coming along with her. At first, she didn't seem to be interested, but upon telling her that he'd lost someone he loved in Ionia when he was in the hospital, Sarah looked at him with wide eyes. The Bounty Hunter sat down next to Maddoc, shoulders slumped as she looked down.

"So… I suppose me forcing you to… well, I guess that's why you didn't enjoy it?" She said.

He gave her a brief smile before looking away. Miss Fortune sighed at this, putting a hand on his shoulder. Maddoc looked over as he finished his drink.

"I know how it feels… to be powerless… to feel like your world will never be the same again. When you lose someone you love… and that there was nothing you could've done to prevent it. You just… laid there…, unable to take any action or protest."

The Noxian and pirate hunter didn't say anything else, looking in opposite directions with scowls. Maddoc didn't like Sarah, but he understood where she was coming from.

"Well… this is a different side of you… Miss Fortune." Maddoc said.

"Please… call me Sarah sweetie." The redhead replied with a forlorn voice.

She looked over to the open bottle of rum, reaching to grab it and looking at it for a solid ten seconds. She took a hearty swig from the bottle, Maddoc raising a brow at it. Her eyes closed with a flinch afterwards at the strong taste from the long gulp. She lazily looked at Maddoc, offering the bottle which he took. The two of them shared it back and forth until it was empty, Sarah placing it aside before letting out a belch.

Suddenly, a faint boom was heard in the distance, making both figures tense up. Immediately Sarah sprang from the bed, running to the door of the cabin and out onto the deck. A few crew members were awake, and Katarina went up to the helm to get a better look. Maddoc soon came out of the cabin, going to the end of the deck. A few flashes of light were happening in the distance.

"What do we have Rafen?" Sarah asked arriving at the helm where her first mate was looking through a telescope.

"Looks like… a distant battle between a fleet of ships, likely Noxian and Ionian." Rafen replied before offering the object to Sarah.

Miss Fortune looked through the telescope, seeing numerous burning ships and seeing more flashes of explosions. She compressed her lips and lowered the telescope. "Dammit."

This caught Katarina's attention. She paced to Sarah with a neutral look, but the redhead knew that she was threatening her.

"You're not thinking of going back, are you?" She asked with hands on her hips, leaning closer to the pirate.

"No… I'm not…" Sarah replied with clenched teeth. "We'll… just have to make a slight detour."

The Sinister Blade crossed her arms. "How long of a detour?"

Miss Fortune shrugged. "Not sure, maybe a few hours, or a day? It'll depend if we run into any problems like that." She said pointing to the distant battle.

Katarina inhaled sharply and gave a nod of appreciation to Sarah. "I'm sorry Sarah… I'm just a little troubled right now."

Miss Fortune looked at Maddoc with a small smirk and then put her hand on Katarina's shoulder. "It's alright… I understand. Listen… why don't you sleep in my bed tonight?"

Katarina tilted her head in confusion, but Sarah gave a look that hinted she knew what the redhead was feeling. The Sinister Blade's eyes fell upon Maddoc who was whistling casually. Her fists clenched, but she calmed herself down.

"Thank you… Sarah." She said sounding sincere.

…

* * *

James's eyes opened drowsily, looking around slowly as his body started to slowly reawaken. The man felt more comfortable given that he was naked, and the feeling of the satin sheets on his body felt blissful. He inhaled a deep breath, smiling this time. The room had a dark, red kind of glow to it given that most things were pink. A familiar moan sounded next to him and a sweet scent was caught. James realized that one of his hands was tangled in disheveled white hair. He saw the blue skin of Evelynn, her purple lips curved into a satisfied smile. The woman must've changed back to her regular appearance as she slept.

Their position on the bed was a shingle. James was flat on his back with Evelynn having an arm draped along his chest while nesting her head on his shoulder. As comfortable as the position was, James felt the need to stretch his legs. The man had no idea what time it was, but the sun wasn't up and it was still nighttime. He gently went away from Evelynn who muttered in her sleep but didn't wake up. James slipped on his boxers and armored pants, walking barefoot to the door. He took one last peek at Evelynn before gently closing the door and pacing down the halls of the mansion.

Even after the time he'd spent here, James didn't fully know the whole mansion. After walking for 10 minutes, he noticed a door to an outdoor balcony. He hummed at this and paced towards it, carefully opening it with a minor creak still sounding.

The wind whistled as James stretched his arms out, letting his body feel the refreshing breeze as he took a deep breath. He slumped over the railing, staring out into the dead of night. Distant waves could be heard crashing against the rocks. Without looking, James put his hand into his pocket and took out the picture of him and Jade again.

He felt mixed emotions and knowing that they weren't fully sad emotions made a pinch of guilt step in, but he shrugged it off. The Noxian couldn't figure out why he'd fallen for Evelynn, how he could engage in relations with her after everything that happened.

_ **Click. Clack.** _

James's posture changed abruptly at the sound of this. He knew who it was, but the sound sent a shiver down his spine. James hesitantly turned around, seeing a silhouette of a giant spider in the hallway. 4 glowing crimson hues with the same color down the hourglass. The figure scuttled towards him, but upon stepping into the light, they'd returned to their human form.

Elise glared at James who bit his lip. Her nose twitched, and she got closer to him, her face getting uncomfortably close to his exposed chest. James tensed up before Elise stopped sniffing. She glared at him with a growl.

"So… you two finally did it." She sneered.

"Did what?" He said with a crack in his voice.

The Spider Queen let out a laugh before slapping James. He held the point of impact and finally glared back at Elise. "What was that for?!"

Elise shrugged with a smirk before scowling. The man finished rubbing the sore cheek and still held that glare at the pale woman. "You should really keep your pants tight Commander. You never know when a certain someone might want to bite that fucking thing off." She said pointing to the crotch area.

James had an expressionless look and silently chuckled. "Umm, is that supposed to scare me?"

The woman's cackle was briefly heard. "Oh no, no my dear Holland. I'm just informing you of what Evelynn has done in the past to other men. She's the reason why I've had to forge a toy that her fangs can't slice through."

James blinked with a disgusted expression at the sound of this. Elise snickered at his reaction and crossed her arms while leaning against the wall.

"Me and her have fucked each other so, so many times James dear. She sometimes loses control and nearly ravages my body. Thank the God's for healing spells." Elise mused.

The man had a feeling that Elise and Evelynn had a history of rough sex in the bed, but he still winced at the sound of this. Then he got an idea and smirked smugly.

"Oh, I see why you're telling me this. It's because your jealous right?"

Elise's red hues widened, and her claws started to glow with dark magic. James knew he was playing with fire but had enough of Elise's attitude.

"Well look at that, perhaps I've hit a personal spot." James continued. "I take it the marks she leaves are like these?"

The Spider Queen's breathing became heavier when seeing the cuts on James's back, the blood dried up and leaving red marks. He crossed his arms and a head tilt. "You are toying with a very powerful person here, James Holland." She hissed.

"Well you can't be very powerful if mere words can make you lose your temper." James retorted.

He tensed up as Elise prepared to blast him with her magic, but a knock was heard at the doorway. The Spider Queen turned to the interior of the mansion before looking back at James. She spat at him and roped up into the darkness, leaving James alone.

Another knock sounded, and he figured he should get that.

The man yawned as he paced to the front door, checking through the peephole to see who was outside. James had his sidearm hidden just in case this was another deadly being. He wondered who else could've found out this places location.

His eyes widened when seeing that it was Riven. Her face was currently looking away from the door and she bit her lower lip. He saw her raise a fist to knock again, but James opened the door before she could. Riven flinched slightly but maintained her straight posture. James gave a once over of her body, noticing that she'd changed it drastically. It seemed to be a mess of robes now with a corset. A few pieces of loose armor completed the look. James gave a sad smile to his friend.

"Hey."

"Hmm, hey."

"How um, how did you get here? How did you know about this place?" He asked.

The Exile smirked weakly. "That um… that lady in the hospital with the silver kimono… she told me where you were staying at." Riven said stopping briefly. "She also taught me that what is broken can be reformed." She beckoned with her blade. "That no matter your past, you can begin anew. To trust your spirit, and instincts. But most importantly… that quarrels with friends… and family… should always be remedied."

An awkward silence filled the air. Riven pursed her lips, looking away to forget the current situation. James broke the silence.

"Listen I um, I'm… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry about what I said Riven." He said sadly.

She gave him a look with compressed lips, brows furrowing as a tear slid from her red pupils. "It's… it's alright James. I shouldn't have been so objective to your plan t-"

"No, no, no." James said cutting her off. He put his hand on her shoulder, pressing his forehead against hers. "I was a bastard. I shouldn't have been so insistent on forcing you to come back with me. I can't imagine what it was like to witness what you did during that battle… but if it's enough to make you want to abandon everything you believed in, then I should've agreed without any second thoughts."

He quickly embraced Riven in a tight hug, the Exile putting her arms around his back as they both whimpered.

"You are the strongest person I know Riven… and you're my best friend." James whispered. "You don't have to come with me. You can stay here in Ionia and start anew."

The Exile's breath was bated. The two of them broke the hug, Riven staring up into James's eyes with a little smile.

"James…" She began. "You're my best friend as well. And while you're the man that I'll always love, I can accept that you won't ever return the same feeling." She bit her lip. "I just have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?"

Riven actually chuckled a little before speaking. "Will you… be my Commander? One last time?"

The man couldn't spare a chuckle of his own. He gently put both hands on her shoulders.

"I can do that Riven." James said. "I'm not sure if I'm in any position to ask you of this, but… will you follow me? One last time?"

The Exile straightened her posture, raising her flat palm to her head, giving him a salute. "Yes sir, Commander."

James let out a sigh of relief and happiness. He gently put his hand on Riven's back neck, pulling her closer and placing a kiss on her temple. The Exile couldn't spare a blush.

"Ahem."

James turned around at the sound of the new voice. The scratches on his back were visible to Riven who raised a brow at this. She looked past him to see a familiar figure standing a few feet from them.

Evelynn had a clawed hand on her hip. Her expression was neutral, and James scratched the back of his head. The succubus noticed Riven and immediately scowled at her. James rolled his eyes at the feud the two still had over him. However, Riven abruptly pushed him aside with her muscles, pacing towards Evelynn who chose to match the motions. They both met nose to nose with Riven now glaring. James moved to separate the two before things got physical but Riven put her hand up to signal not to. James was hesitant, but he trusted Riven enough to know she wouldn't do anything drastic. Evelynn on the other hand…

"Listen to me you little man-eater." Riven snapped. "I will remember forever what you did to James. How you abducted him and intended to torture him until he died. However, … I suppose I should give my appreciation for you having a change of heart, though the circumstances for that happening are less than pleasing for me."

Evelynn smirked. "You know… I'm always willing to share." She blinked seductively after saying that.

"You kept him alive. You kept him healthy." Riven continued, ignoring the words from the lusty woman. "But most importantly… you seem to care about him a lot. And… he seems to return that feeling as well."

James's eyes widened with his mouth gaping. "R-Riven it's no-"

"Save it." Riven said cutting him off. "I can understand that James. Though I am surprised, and even a little sad that you're doing this after learning that Jade was… murdered."

Those words made James's shoulders slump down. He took a deep, broken breath.

"You said yourself that you love me James, but only as a sister and a best friend. Given what you've endured… I think that's what you need the most right now." She said turning to him with a weak smile.

The man bit his lip and looked down.

"Regardless of what happens after this is all over… I want you to keep him safe… and happy." Riven muttered. "Do you think you can do that?"

Evelynn only snorted at the question resulting in Riven rolling her eyes. The Exile suddenly pulled her closer and brought her mouth to Evelynn's ear.

**"But if you ever, ever, do to his face what you did to his back, I will shove my broken blade so far up your ass, the feeling will quench your never-ending desire for pain."** She whispered with venom.

Evelynn's eyes actually widened at this and she silently gulped.

Riven pulled away from the succubus, having a deadpan look. She extended her hand to Evelynn, hinting for a handshake to preferably bury the hatchet. Evelynn raised a brow at this, but then noticed James looking at her with his arms crossed. Swallowing her desire to avoid flaying Riven alive, Evelynn's clawed hand met Riven's, and they shook firmly on it. After they broke it, several moments of silence happened amongst the three.

"Suppose I should get some rest." She said knowing that the two of them probably wanted, or momentarily, be alone. "Where's the bedroom?"

James was about to speak, but Evelynn cut him off. "Down the hall, to the left, then take a right. Can't miss it love."

The Exile gave a little nod before choosing to pace away. She felt a hand grab her arm and was met with James's eyes again. She blinked a few times but allowed him to hold his grip.

"Riven… please, do not think that this is easy for me. I… I am confused as much as you with this relationship with Evelynn." He said with a few croaks.

The girl's mouth twitched with mirth. She put her bandaged hand around his back, using the leverage to pull him closer. "Sometimes things don't make sense James, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad. Sometimes, they're blessings in disguise."

James froze at the words Riven said and she put some space between them before striding off. He pinched the bridge of his nose and Evelynn walked up beside him, putting her hands on his arms so he'd face her. The man put his hands on her arms as they stared into each other's eyes. She tilted her head with a coo and pout.

"Do you regret it?" She asked.

"Regret what?"

"You know… the sex. The amazing, sadistic, bloody love we made?" She said with a little smile.

James weakly chuckled. He put his hand on Evelynn's chin, tilting her head up. She was surprised when he kissed her, and she returned the favor wholeheartedly.

"It doesn't make sense to me." He said forlornly. "I lost her. Everything that me and her shared, I'll never have that back. And yet… I can't help myself when I'm around you Evelynn. My mind says I should feel guilt and angst, but my body doesn't feel the same way."

The succubus frowned at his words. Evelynn cupped his face with both hands.

"Love doesn't always have to make sense my sweet James." She murmured. "The duration or the time it takes to get to certain points doesn't and shouldn't matter. What does matter is the feelings… and the emotions the two partners get from one another. It doesn't have to make sense to others, it just has to make sense to the two involved."

Evelynn's words spoke volume to James and he was actually shocked at her knowledge of this. He wondered how someone like her had come up with an explanation like that. Regardless, it also made sense, in a strange way.

"I suppose love is many things, none of them logical." James said a little grimly.

The succubus cooed at him, putting her hands around his neck. James didn't do the same, but Evelynn didn't have any problem. Their foreheads touched, eyes closing with deep sighs from both.

"Love may be illogical, but from what I'm feeling with you, it's great… and powerful." Evelynn whispered.

…

* * *

Miss Fortune stood at the helm of the ship, having made the decision to be in control of it for the remainder of the voyage. They'd been sailing for several hours after witnessing the battle between Noxian and Ionian ships. The detour had changed their route to one without encountering any problems, but it was taking a lot longer than Sarah would've preferred. Half of the crew was asleep, taking shifts every two hours. A lone sailor was up in the crow's nest, constantly circling the area was far as he could see.

Alongside Sarah was Rafen and Maddoc was in the back, leaning against the wall. He didn't feel tired despite Sarah's recommendation that he should sleep. Katarina was sound asleep in the cabin after Sarah offered it to her, given what Maddoc told her about the journey.

"Uh, Captain?" Rafen asked.

Miss Fortune hummed as a response.

"You do realize that eventually the sun will be coming up right?" He asked.

The redhead's grip on the wheel slightly tightened. She quietly growled at the words and turned to look at her first mate. "Yes… I do."

Rafen gulped at this. He could see through those azure eyes, the anger quickly building inside of Sarah.

"So perhaps… we should consider turning back and avoid getting caught in the middle of Ionian territory? You know, in broad daylight?"

The woman let go of the wheel, giving Rafen a deadpan stare that was more terrifying than an actual glare. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking, but he knew it was anger.

"I'm sorry, are you questioning my decision as Captain?" She asked, only sound slightly indignantly.

"No Captain!" Rafen said trying to hide his fear. "I only wish to express my concern that we may-"

Miss Fortune pushed aside part of her jacket, revealing one of her guns in the holsters. Rafen lowered his head in response, swallowing as he resisted the urge to continue speaking.

"I shou-… I should probably go check on the crew." He said quietly.

"Yeah I think you should." Sarah replied, a little venom in her voice.

Rafen walked off the helm to the deck. Miss Fortune put one hand back on the wheel, using her other to massage her temple with a small sigh. Maddoc cautiously approached.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Just… fine." Sarah replied, having on a clearly fake smile before looking away from Maddoc who was unconvinced.

"You seem to be a little on edge, ever since we had our a little exchanged in your cabin."

The redhead growled again. She met the eyes of Maddoc, tilting her head with a minor glare. "So, fucking what if I am? It doesn't mean anything. I'm doing what you and Katarina wanted. I'm sailing you both to Ionia!" She looked straight ahead, breaking eye contact.

Maddoc compressed his lips and put a hand on Sarah's shoulder. The woman inhaled sharply, slowly turning her head again to give a glare to him.

**"Take it off, or I'll break it off."**

His hand immediately lifted off, a nervous chuckle coming from the man. Maddoc bit his lips while Sarah's expression changed to a frown with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said pinching her nose.

"Are you really?"

"Yes…" She said sounding hostile again before taking a deep breath. "I feel a little knot in me right now. Directly in the center of my stomach. And it's getting tighter, and tighter each second."

Maddoc walked around to the side, getting a better look of Sarah who slowly lifted her head. "Why?" He asked.

"Because after hearing that the person you and Katarina are looking for could possibly… be her father, it opened an old wound… in me." Sarah said.

He tilted his head and showed interest. Miss Fortune sighed at this, feeling like she was vulnerable and weak for confessing something that troubled her. She wanted to maintain her cocky, smug personality.

"My parents were killed when I was just a child. Shot right in front of me… and I couldn't do anything abo-, no, I DIDN'T, do anything about it."

Maddoc blinked at this. "Well you were just a child. Kind of hard to blame you for that." He chuckled.

Miss Fortune shot him a deathly stare at the sound of his laugh. Maddoc cleared his throat and looked down with shame. The redhead continued to speak.

"When you're raised in Bilgewater, you tend to have more of a tough childhood compared to the sheltered ones in places like Demacia or some shit." She said. "My parents loved me, but they also knew when to show tough love and that I had to earn their respect. Something that Katarina's father barely showed her. He was just cruel."

Maddoc's eyes widened at this. Their history was a little more personal than he imagined.

"So, when I heard that this person may be him, I felt emotions flow through me. Emotions that I thought I'd buried years ago." Miss Fortune said. "Memories of my parents being killed flashed in my mind… and the state that Katarina was in when she told me that her father disappeared. It was one that I didn't want to see ever, ever again." She continued. "So now… this may be my chance to finally bury those moments. To make sure they never creep up in my mind again for the rest of my fucking life. To help a good friend of mine reconcile with her estranged father. I just know… that it would bury the hatchet."

Maddoc slumped against the wall, taking in the information that the cocky, playful and sultry bounty hunter Sarah Fortune told him. She offered no response at his reaction and focused on steering the ship.

"So… I guess the payment wasn't necessary?" He said with a joking manner.

Miss Fortune scoffed at this. "Oh no, I always require a payment honey. Doesn't matter if you're a good friend or not, money talks first!"

Their further exchange of words was interrupted when a shout from the look-out up top was heard.

"Captain! Land ho!" He pointed.

Miss Fortune and Maddoc turned to the direction, seeing a shape of land in the distance. At first it was only a little amount, but once Sarah checked through the telescope, she could see far more connected to it. With tense focus, she could see a few lights in the distance.

It was a village in Ionia, and there wasn't a single ship to be seen. She smiled as she turned the ship in the direction.

"Rafen! Step to! I want everybody up and on alert! We've reached Ionia and I don't want to sail in looking like a power monkey!" Miss Fortune ordered before turning to Maddoc. "You should go wake up Katarina."

…

* * *

Elise was leaning over the railing of the balcony where she and James almost clashed earlier. She needed time to herself, coming to the new presented reality. The Spider Queen would rather eat her extra legs instead of saying it, she was a little… jealous. Evelynn was in love with James, and he seemed to return those feelings. After picking up her lustful and delicious aura on him, Elise just felt pure hatred for the man. Evelynn only did one-night stands, and while things would get rough between the two in bed, Elise secretly wanted to have The Agony's Embrace all to herself.

Now it seemed like those little nights of fun were coming to an end, and that just made The Spider Queen angrier.

The red hues of the pale woman blinked a few times when something caught her attention. She could see something in the distance on the water. Elise tilted her head, squinting to get a better look.

It was a ship. One that was likely occupied by a crew of hardened sailors given that it would take that kind of nerve to sail during a time such at this. Regardless, an idea sparked in Elise's head and she mischievously smiled. The woman soon disappeared back inside the mansion.

…

* * *

The ship was getting closer to the docks of the village. Sarah couldn't tell who was possibly outside at this time of night. From the conclusion she came to, Miss Fortune didn't expect to encounter any major Ionian military personnel here. The village was seemingly spared by the pillage of Noxus, and if the Ionians fought back fiercely, perhaps it would never reach the spot.

She shook off the thoughts of the invasion. She didn't care about the situation, she was only doing this as a favor… and for money.

Katarina came up to the helm with Maddoc, joining Sarah who was practically locked to the steering wheel. Rafen and the crew were armed and ready in the event of this possibly being an ambush. Everybody stayed quiet as the ship continued to get closer and closer to the docks.

…

* * *

"Well holy shit, looks like we lucked out!" James said with a cheerful tone.

"Ahhh, it's so nice, and feels a little strange, to see you in a happy mood James love!" Evelynn purred.

"I hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty." Elise snapped to Riven.

The Exile glared at The Spider Queen as they paced down towards the docks, hiding under the cloak of night. "My hands are already stained."

They finally reached an elevated position, hiding behind a large number of barrels. James was back in his full armor, his rifle in his hand and sidearm holstered. He turned to Riven.

"Listen Riven… you uh, you don't have to do this. I don't want to force you into another unfavorable position." He said.

Riven shook her head, tightening the grip on her blade as she smirked at her commander. "No… I can handle it James."

James exhaled and peeked out slightly. He noticed that the ship had finally docked. He could hear distant chatter amongst the crew. It sounded like there was a lot of them.

"Alright James, what's the plan love?" Evelynn asked.

Under his helmet, James raised a brow. However, he noticed Riven leaning closer to him, eager to hear his command. Elise shrugged with an eye roll and James chuckled.

"Alright, here's the plan. I'm going to take out the captain. It'll leave the crew confused and cause some disarray. After that, you two can do what you do best and ambush the crew." He said referring to Elise and Evelynn. "Riven, you stick with me and we'll watch each other's backs as we board the ship. Sound good?"

"Yes sir." Riven replied.

"Mmm, I love being ordered around by you." Evelynn purred.

"Alright, let's do this." James said.

He peeked out from behind the barrel, bringing the scope of his rifle up to eyesight. Adjusting his aim, James fell upon a woman standing at the helm. The large hat caught his attention and he assumed that was the Captain. His finger was on the trigger, but then he saw another woman. One in black leather, a scar on her eye, and crimson red hair.

"Katarina?" He said to himself.

Immediately James withdrew from aiming, bracing himself against the wall with a few deep breaths. The women were surprised at this.

"James? Everything okay love? Did you kill the captain?" Evelynn asked.

James didn't reply, turning on the safety before aiming back out again. He was certain that this wasn't a mistake, but his mouth gaped when seeing another familiar face. The same, young soldier who was in his unit. The explosives expert.

"Maddoc." He said.

Riven heard this and widened her eyes. She grabbed James and made him face her. "Why did you say that name?"

James's visor met the eye level of Riven's red pupils. An unseen smile was happening under the mask.

"Alright, we're finally here." Sarah said to Katarina and Maddoc. "I guess, this is goodbye."

Maddoc only nodded and Katarina smiled rather sincerely at the fellow redhead. She walked over to Sarah, putting her gloved hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Thank you very much Sarah. We're even now… I won't ask you of anymore favors." She said.

Miss Fortune actually frowned a little at this. She cupped The Sinister Blade's neck and suddenly slammed her lips into the redheads. Katarina was surprised by this, but gladly returned it. Maddoc blinked a few times and looked away with a minor disgusted look. The women stopped kissing, both smiling at the other one.

"Listen um, if you ever do need a favor… don't hesitate to ask. Alright?" Sarah said.

Katarina raised a brow at this. She suddenly remembered earlier the same look Sarah gave her. This caused Katarina to take a deep breath while turning around to Maddoc who widened his eyes.

"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You." She mouthed.

A sailor shouted, making the trio turn to the direction of the voice. "Captain! We've got somebody walking our way!"

Miss Fortune immediately widened her eyes and started to move, pacing quickly down the stairs onto the deck with Katarina and Maddoc following appropriately. They leaned over the railings to see a man in black armor jogging along the docks, waving at the ship.

"Hey!" He shouted.

That voice was familiar. One that Katarina recognized. She took in the unique attire, remembering getting a full look of it when that person in the cafeteria pushed her down on the floor.

"James… Holland?"

"KATARINA!" The man shouted.

The Sinister Blade's mouth gaped, and she quickly vaulted over the deck, landing on the docks.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Sarah commanded.

The man stopped jogging, looking at Katarina who tilted her head, just making triple sure this wasn't a mistake. The man proceeded to remove his entire helmet, revealing his face. Katarina took a deep inhale and slowly walked towards him. Her expression was neutral.

"You are the most reckless, careless…" She said with a spiteful tone before smiling. "…and the canniest bastard I ever knew!"

The next thing James knew, Katarina blinked to him and gave him a tight hug, legs and arms wrapped around his whole body. He wheezed slightly at this but returned it soon after. He heard her sniffle and tears soon fell from her eyes. James felt the need to make a sarcastic jab at Katarina's emotions, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Commander? Sir?" A voice said.

James saw a young man standing before him. Maddoc only had a single tear slipping down his cheek with a little smile. Katarina got off James, wiping away the water in her eyes as James and Maddoc shook hands before choosing to pat each other on the back while doing so.

"I told you to drop the "sir" shit son." James said with a hint of sarcasm.

Maddoc only sighed with a grin. He then noticed another figure coming out of the darkness. A girl with white hair. A color he only knew one person had.

Riven's expression remained neutral when she saw Maddoc who gaped his mouth. James and Katarina looked at the two before Maddoc practically sprinted towards Riven who did the same. They came together in a rough hug, Riven gripping his shirt tight as tears started to escape both figures. Maddoc looked at her with shock and relief. but couldn't say anything.

The Exile's lips soon met with his as they held each other tight, their eyes glistening as they felt the same flame from that night Maddoc kissed Riven. Katarina would have to wait to show Riven how glad she was to see the girl alive. Out of the shadows, two more figures emerged, Katarina paying no mind to them, but James soon moving to put his arm around Evelynn while Elise just rolled her eyes.

Up on the ship, the crew continued to remain silent, but Miss Fortune couldn't stop a tear from sliding down her cheek. She leaned closer to Rafen.

"Rafen… break out the rum. I have a feeling these people could use it." She whispered.

"Yes ma'am!" Rafen replied heartily.

…

* * *

Culda sighed contently as she slipped on her black trench coat. The golden buttons were undone which allowed her clothing underneath to be revealed. The jacket went all the way down to her boots that had a red lining along them. Her pants were buttoned from top to bottom with the middle intentionally left unbuttoned to allow more comfort. Her shirt was a slightly similar design, though it was entirely buttoned up and was long sleeved. Culda's hair rested along her shoulders as she kept smiling.

"Madam Culda? Are you ready?" Minh asked. He was in his full armor.

The woman only nodded. She casually brushed aside a strand of her hair as she took a deep breath.

This was her time. The day that she'd bring greater glory to The Empire of Noxus. Minh opened the door, allowing the light from the Great Hall of Noxus to shine in. Culda only blinked to get a new feeling of the changes in surroundings. Her eyes fell to the red carpet, following it all the way to the end until she could see the throne of The Grand General at the end of the large room. Sion was standing there, his hands resting on his axe as he remained stationary and silent. Culda's soldiers were standing in formation and they turned and saluted her when she took her first step. Sion kneeled down and bowed his head to show his respect and loyalty.

The woman held that smile as she paced down the carpet, Minh following appropriately behind. As she kept walking, Culda started to practically skip instead, letting out hums of satisfaction and happiness.

One could clearly tell it was madness.

Upon reaching the throne, Culda turned around and put both hands on the armrests, slowly placing herself comfortably onto the chair. She sat with a straight posture at first, giving all the men and women a scan with her emerald eyes.

"Kneel!" She commanded.

Everybody including Minh immediately kneeled down to show their loyalty and respect. Culda mused at this, crossing her left leg over her right and resting her chin on her left hand with that smug smile.

"Today… a new reign in Noxus begins."


	19. Heat And Rage

_**"The world is sick, but we are the doctors. The world is anemic, but we are the vitamin. The world is weary, but we are the strength. We are here to make the world healthy once again, with hard work, with honesty, with clarity, with decency. We are the product of loving mothers and brave fathers. We are the embodiment of love and bravery! We are the gift of every God above! We are the answer to the question. We are the promise delivered to all of Runeterra. For that, we raise our hands to one Nation. We march to the beat of one drum. We march for Noxus!"**_ Culda shouted from atop the balcony to the crowd below. The woman received overlapping cheers and applause.

That speech was just one of Culda's many others she gave shortly after finally becoming The Grand General of Noxus. She knew what the people of Noxus wanted. Something that she herself wanted; Power. The woman wasted no time quickly choosing to implement her changes to the Empire.

Culda started with choosing to replace, or in this case, upgrade the armor of the Noxian army. The armor that her personal guard wore was more efficient, tougher and durable. She even outfitted them with embedded blades in the event they lose their spears or swords. Next, she recalled a majority of the alchemists back to Noxus where she ordered them to build Hextech guns and then load them with magic that the Empire had raided from the locations provided by the map James and his group retrieved a while ago. To top this off, Culda meant when she said that she'd make Sion become The Hand of Noxus. Her men found his old warmongers armor and she had them work tirelessly to give his worn out looking ax a completely new look.

Things were going well for Culda. She'd been planning this for a long time and when it came, she swore that she would not falter in taking action.

"The Noxus that was ruled by Swain will burn under the rule of me." Culda said to her advisors. "We will crush any opposition and expand Noxus to every corner of Runeterra, starting with Ionia. We will use their own magic against them and show what it means to wield true power!"

They nodded in unison. Culda smirked and turned around, pacing towards the window and looking out at the city.

"We have only to remove those who oppose us." She said not turning around. "The Black Rose has been a thorn in my side for too damn long."

"But they have gone into hiding, madam." One advisor said.

"Just because they're not making any appearances doesn't mean they're truly hiding. Leblanc knows what I'm capable of and is wisely choosing to cower for the moment. It is a little difficult to find them, but knowing their history, they're likely hiding underground." Culda said pausing briefly to think about her options. "Mm, but then again, it is likely they have a few members still sneaking around, blending into the populace to keep track of my choices."

"They are fluent in magic and deception madam. Them snaking around would likely go unnoticed by even us." Another advisor said.

"Snaking?" Culda asked turning around.

The word suddenly gave her an idea. The Black Rose always used black magic and often welcomed those who were gifted with it. A certain someone came to mind. Someone that was offered a choice, but likely never took it. Maybe.

"Cassiopeia Du Couteau." She said to herself. A wicked smile soon crept on her features and she grinned.

"Um, madam Culda?" An advisor asked with a hint of concern.

"Captain Minh." She called out. The man stepping into the room, his hands entwined at his midriff. "I want two dozen of your men to head to the Du Couteau Manor and apprehend Cassiopeia. I have some persuading to do."

"Two dozen?" Minh asked.

The woman scoffed at this. "They're going to be heading into a manor that houses two deadly assassins to take away their sibling. I think two dozen is the appropriate amount."

"Um actually milady, Katarina Du Couteau is no longer in Noxus." An advisor said.

Culda almost froze at hearing this. Everybody in the room fell silent and Minh backed away slightly. The woman slowly turned to the advisor who just told her this new piece of information. Her emerald eyes soon showed anger and she started to march towards his part of the table. The only sound that was heard was the taps of her boots on the floor. When she arrived, Culda leaned forward with the man shrinking down lower in his chair as she glared daggers at him.

"What did you say?" She asked with venom in her voice.

"U-Um, Katarina i-is no longer in Noxus. She left a while ago." He choked.

The woman took a sharp inhale. She looked away briefly. "And why… wasn't I told?" She said with a fake smile upon looking back at him.

"U-Uh, because y-you were t-too busy-"

"Shh," Culda said putting her finger on his lip. "It's okay, it's okay. We all make mistakes. Maybe next time just tell me a little earlier. Okay?" She had on a sincere looking smile. It was like the one's mothers gave upon seeing their babies for the first time.

The advisor timidly smiled and took a long, deep breath. Culda took something out of her pocket, drawing the man's attention back to her. The next thing he saw was the barrel of a Hextech Revolver. Culda didn't give him a chance to exclaim before pulling the trigger, emitting a flash with a loud bang. Everyone in the room flinched at this while Culda remained near emotionless. The woman lowered the gun, smoke emitting from the barrel.

Culda scanned all of her other advisors as they looked away, sitting in straight postures with their hands folded. She sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair. "In order for a leader to be efficient, I need all of my advisors to tell me everything. If someone is planning to make a move against me, I want to hear it. If someone like Katarina is leaving Noxus, I want to hear it. If a member of The Black Rose is spotted, I want them abducted. If someone still supports Swain, I want to hear it. I want to know who they are. I want to know where they are. No secrets, alright?"

They nodded in unison.

"This meeting is adjourned." She said walking to the window. The advisors left and Culda closed her eyes as she took in the new information of Katarina leaving Noxus. Why would she leave? Culda and Katarina's only interaction was that trade of glares after the mission. Regardless, they were not fond of one another, and Katarina leaving Noxus at the time of Culda's rise to power concerned her greater than The Black Rose.

"Minh, have your men apprehend both of the Du Couteaus. Bring them to my manor."

"Of course, Madam Culda." Minh said.

…

* * *

Talon took a hearty swig from the bottle of whiskey, setting it down on the glass table before resuming the cleaning of his numerous blades. He was dressed in a silver muscle shirt with black trousers, sitting on the couch in the living room of the manor.

The man had been in despair ever since Katarina left for Ionia. He felt useless for just sitting here while his sister was wandering into enemy territory under the recommendation of Swain. He didn't care for politics, but Culda becoming the new leader of Noxus made him feel a bit uneasy.

He just finished cleaning the blade and was about to start another one, but then a knock came at the door. Talon raised a brow and stood up. He paced to the door, holding a blade that was hiding behind his arm. The assassin opened the door, blinking and then shield his eyes as the light from the sun shined into the manor.

There was nobody there.

Talon glared and closed the door, locking it afterward and pacing back to the couch, not breaking his gaze from it. A sudden thud was heard upstairs, and his gaze shot up tensely as he felt a protective feeling take over his body.

"Cassiopeia." He said to himself.

Immediately Talon sprinted, going at almost inhuman speed. Running up the stairs, he quickly arrived at the bedroom that was Cassiopeia's and turned the knob. It didn't budge.

"Cassiopeia?" Talon asked anxiously. No response. "Cassiopeia?! Cass!"

Finally, the knob turned, and Talon pressed himself into the room only to immediately crash into Cassiopeia who unlocked the door. They both fell to the floor with grunts, Talon on top of the serpent lady. The woman gave her brother a raised brow and her expression showed annoyance. The man coughed with a little chuckle and got off.

"S-Sorry." He said scratching his shaggy hair.

"Whats wrong Talon?" Cassiopeia asked. "You seem to be a little anxious."

"I answered the door and nobody was there. Then I heard a thud from up here and thought that maybe something bad was happening."

Cassiopeia actually smiled at him. Her snake eyes always made him nervous and the tail was no exception, but they'd known each other for a long time and she'd never dream of turning him to stone.

"Well Talon, that was very thoughtful of you…" Cassiopeia mused. "But I was actually sleeping so I'm not sure where that thud came from."

That last sentence made Talon's little smile disappear. He tensed up and turned around only to be met with a clenched fist. The impact knocked him to the floor and Cassiopeia gasped. She didn't have time to retaliate when a man put a bag over her head and pressed her against the wall. Talon stood back up but was soon restrained by more guards. The armor was light red mixed with black and it covered them head to toe. Talon glared daggers at them and tried to break free.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He shouted.

The soldiers ignored him. An officer soon stepped into the room, looking at both Du Couteau siblings before pointing at Cassiopeia. He paced towards her.

"Touch my sister and you're a dead man!" He threatened.

The officer paced to the serpent lady, looking at her tail that was wriggling rapidly. He removed the bag and grabbed her neck, using his other hand to cover her eyes. Cassiopeia whimpered.

"What the fuck is this a monster?" He said to himself.

The officer then slammed Cassiopeia's head harshly against the wall, knocking her out as she slumped down.

**"ANIMAL!" **Talon roared.

Fueled with rage, the man broke free from his captors and charged the officer who turned at the last moment. He was slammed against the wall with a grunt and Talon readied the blade he was cleaning earlier. The officer was swiftly stabbed in the neck with him croaking pitifully.

"MY GOD!" A guard shouted.

Blood splattered along the walls from the brutal stabbing and the officer died. Talon was restrained again by the guards who barely managed to hold him back.

"HE'S FUCKING CRAZY!" Another one exclaimed.

Before Talon was forced to the floor, his hand reached out to Cassiopeia who was well out of reach. More guards soon came in and started to tie her up. Talon continued to struggle against his captors. "Quickly give him a sedative!

A female guard with a needle came in and crouched down above Talon's torso. He spat at her and almost broke from the grasp.

"Hold him still!" She exclaimed.

"Quickly! Inject it!" A male guard replied.

Finally, the guard stuck it into his neck and gave him the drug. Talon croaked, and his struggling died down as the world started to fade around him.

_"Cassiopeia…"_

…

* * *

Everyone was currently sitting in the captain's cabin of the ship, Miss Fortune sitting at her desk, legs crossed and propped on the table as her delicate hands were wrapped around a bottle of rum. The woman's desire for celebration had all but left her when James revealed what happened. She was actually surprised by his words.

Riven and Maddoc were sitting together on the floor, arms wrapped around the other's shoulder like a second apart meant certain death with Maddoc resting his chin under hers. Katarina was staring blankly ahead for what felt like the longest time imaginable. Elise was merely leaning against the door and showed little to no interest. James was taking a few breaths after explaining everything with Evelynn by his side as usual.

"You people astound me." Sarah said finally speaking up.

James snorted, looking up at the redhead. "I don't believe I've properly introduced myself. Name's James Holland."

Sarah scoffed at this with an amused look. She chose to extend her hand. "Captain Miss Sarah Fortune, and the pleasures all mine."

"So, James… Culda betrayed you?" Katarina asked finally breaking out of her deadpan stare.

"Yep…"

The Sinister Blade almost growled at the answer. She looked at one of her daggers, flipping it in her gloved hand so she was holding it by the blade. Katarina quickly reeled it back and threw it at the wall where a thwack sounded. Miss Fortune's eyes followed it, but she said nothing.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" James asked.

"We were informed by Swain that someone had taken down The Dark Sovereign." Katarina replied. "We have good reason to believe that it was my father who did the deed as the mage was taken down with the use of blades. So, he sent me here to bring him back to gain a footing against Culda."

James bit his lip when hearing about Katarina's father possibly being the one to take down Syndra. He knew what he meant to her and felt a minor pinch of guilt.

"Katarina… the one who took down The Sovereign was me." James droned. "I had a little run-in with a woman who uses floating blades and we set aside our difference briefly to take the bitch down."

Katarina didn't look over at him, but she did run a finger along her eye and swallowed the urge to let out any more tears. "Well alright then… I guess that's that." She stood up.

"Katarina I'm sorry that it wasn-"

"It's fine, it's fine." She said with a little-broken voice. "It doesn't matter, we found you and you're the next best thing to finding my father. I guess we should be heading out now."

Miss Fortune sighed, biting her lip. "You mean back to Bilgewater right? You don't expect me to sail you straight into Noxus? This Culda person sounds like she shouldn't be fucked with."

"You said that I shouldn't hesitate in asking for a favor!" The redhead replied in a cold voice. "Well, I'm asking for one! And I need it right now!"

Sarah didn't like the thought of this, but after finding out that the person Katarina came here to find wasn't her father, the redhead felt sympathy for her friend, and the last thing Katarina needed was another inconvenience. "Well, I guess that'd be fine. Hopefully, we won't run into anymore ship to ship battles along the way." Sarah said looking away.

Katarina calmed herself down and hastily exited the cabin, her boots echoing a little loudly as she did her best to hide the emotions. James hung his head in disappointment, knowing that he should be happy to reconcile with trusty allies of his, but he felt a twinge in his stomach. Evelynn put her hand on his shoulder with James immediately putting his gloved hand on her claw. Their gazes met with loving, but also sad smiles.

"So, what's the deal with the creepy woman here?" Sarah asked beckoning to Elise who immediately glared at the captain.

"That is none of your concern fool."

Sarah put her hands up to show no hostility. "Just asking. You look like a fucking woman whose half spider. It's creepy shit."

Elise scoffed and took leave from the cabin. The room was silent, everybody unsure of what else to say. Evelynn had remained quiet throughout this whole ordeal, and she wanted herself and James to be alone. She did this by getting up from her seat and practically straddling onto James's lap. He didn't have time to react when her lips crashed into his, sparking excitement inside the man's body. James hesitantly returned the kiss, wanting more from the succubus. Miss Fortune got the message.

"Think I'll go and check on Katarina. She needs me more than ever." The woman mumbled to herself.

Maddoc and Riven felt a little uncomfortable in the cabin with the current situation happening before them, but they also got the message. Taking her hand, Maddoc led Riven out of the cabin, finally leaving both James and Evelynn alone. Once she realized this, Evelynn broke the kiss and smiled at her lover. She tilted her head with a pout when he didn't return it back.

"What's wrong love?"

"Oh, you know…" James mumbled.

Evelynn cooed at him, getting off the chair and backing away. James blinked before his eyes widened at the sight. Evelynn's appearance had changed back to the one from earlier. It gave her a more human appearance, even though her other appearance was equally as alluring, James felt more comfortable with this one.

"Why did you do that?" He asked.

Evelynn sighed and turned around, pacing to the window of the cabin, looking out at the sea. The ship was starting to move.

"You're mine James, and I can't stand seeing you in the slightest amount of angst, and sadness," Evelynn said. "I recall you mentioning that this look slightly reminded you of her. So I believe that if you prefer this look, then I will keep it on."

James said nothing. He realized that this was like that moment in the building where he kissed her. The moment where Evelynn didn't look like the cold-blooded, sadistic predator that she was. She was revealing what counted as innocence for her to James, and he was drawn to it. James instinctively acted, moving so he was right behind Evelynn. He embraced her from behind gently, his arms crossing around her waist as the succubus stiffened up. He rested his head on her left shoulder and paid no mind to the small tint of red that came onto her cheeks.

"So I take it that your reason for helping me is no longer for the pain you'll cause to Culda?" He asked with a little smile.

Evelynn quietly giggled at this. She relaxed into his embrace, moving her lashers slowly so they circled around James's waist, cupping him and making the embrace tighter. Evelynn's lashers lost their edge which made James feel less nervous.

"Nothing gives me more pleasure than being with you, love. With the occasional nibbles, and bruises I leave." She giggled. "For now, I'd rather just stay in this moment."

James hummed in agreement. The two of them remained in that embrace, enjoying every moment of it.

"So, this is love?" Evelynn asked in the manner a sheltered person would. It made James chuckle at the irony. "It tends to vary among others Evelynn. Perhaps in all those years of hurting people, the only thing you really needed to fill that emptiness was somebody to love?" He asked.

She giggled again. "Perhaps it is James. You said that love itself is illogical, but if it means that I get to stay with you, then I don't mind in the slightest."

They stayed silent again before Evelynn chose to speak.

"Hey, James?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She felt his embrace tighten with the woman quietly cooing. James took a few deep breaths, trying to at least mutter out the words in return. He remained silent for a few moments.

"I love… you… too… Evelynn."

…

* * *

Culda was humming as she poured herself a glass of red wine. She placed the bottle down, holding the glass by the stem and raising it up while swirling it around. She gulped it down, a pleased smile coming onto her features as she closed her eyes. She was currently in a dark dungeon, lite torches in every corner with an amber glow.

"Ugh…"

The Grand General's eyes opened up wide when hearing the groan in the back. Now grinning, Culda set the glass down and turned around.

There was Talon in the middle of the room, sitting in a seatless chair. His arms were tightly pinned behind his back and his ankles were tied up front. In addition to being completely immobile, the man was also fully naked. His muscles and scars visible to the woman before him. Now only smirking mischievously, Culda reached for an object in the darkness and started to slowly pace towards the bound assassin.

Talon was exhausted, his shaggy brown hair disheveled as it hung from his head with him being face down. He heard footsteps and looked up to see a woman dressed in black with raven-colored hair looking at him. She was holding a knotted rope.

"Wh-Who the fuck are you?" He asked exhausted. His body was a bit sweaty.

Culda slapped him harshly with a stern look. "I'm the new ruler of Noxus you wretch! And I have a question for you regarding your red-haired bitch of a sister Katarina."

As she expected, Talon soon broke eye contact from her, refusing to talk. This made Culda smirk mischievously as she started to slowly pace around behind Talon who followed her movements. She observed his well-toned build.

"Wow… you've taken good care of your body." Culda mused. She crouched down behind the chair, draping the rope over Talon's shoulder. His breathing became tenser as he sternly glared at her. Culda exhaled her breath into his ear. "Such a waste."

She proceeded to stand back up, giving some space between her and him. Culda started to experimentally swing the ropes knot back and forth while Talon chose to stare straight ahead, doing his best to prepare for what was coming. Culda lightly hit Talon between the legs with the knot and he gritted his teeth with a groan. The woman sighed as she looked away briefly.

"You know, I never understood all these elaborate tortures. It's the simplest thing to cause more pain than a man can possibly endure." Culda said.

She quickly swirled the rope in the air and harshly hit Talon which made him let out a little yell. Culda felt that it was getting a little sweaty in the dungeon and she chose to take off her heavy coat.

"And of course, it's not only the immediate agony but the knowledge that if you do not yield soon enough, there will be little left to identify you as a man." She said while taking a chair and sitting a few feet away from Talon. She slapped him to make him face her "The only question remains: will you yield, in time?"

The assassin didn't make eye contact with Culda who didn't mind actually. "Now… why don't you tell me where Katarina went? What is she doing that could be so important enough to leave Noxus? At the time of me seizing the throne? Some kind of Black Rose mission?"

Talon didn't reply and Culda rolled her eyes. She stood back up, swinging the rope and hitting Talon again. This time he let out a cry of agony and started to scream with the man trying to get away from Culda even if it was an inch. She sat back down.

"I'm going to assume that you and she don't tell Cassiopeia a lot about your personal matters so right now, why don't you just make it easier for me and say where she went?"

She was given an icy glare, Culda ignoring it as she leaned closer for an answer. "Tell me, please."

Talon cleared his throat. "Fuck you… and the mindless brutes that you have as your guards."

Culda chuckled and stood up with a delightful smile. She whipped him again with Talon screaming in agony. She started to excessively laugh through his pained cries and even wiped away a tear from her now red face. "Oh, I just love how they try so hard to remain strong on the outside, but on the inside, they're just a bunch of weaklings. A pity Marcus Du Couteau didn't kill you when he had the chance." Culda mused.

Talon spat at her feet and Culda lashed him again. His struggle against the bounds increased, but it was futile.

"It's not often that I torture people through a means of physical motions!" Culda said as she whipped him again. "I often enjoy breaking them mentally with the use of my magic, but if I'm going to be a ruler of an Empire such as Noxus, I thought it'd be time to spice things up!"

The assassin couldn't speak as his throat had become sore from all the screaming and yelling he did when Culda hit below him. She kept this up for several minutes before finally deeming it enough. Sitting back down on the chair, Culda slapped Talon to make him face her.

"Now Talon… tell me where your sister went… and I will at least… let your serpent bitch live."

Slowly, the man looked over to Culda who tilted her head with a glare. Talon chuckled a few moments later and Culda did the same. She ran her hand through her back hair and sighed. "You're really not going to tell me, are you?"

"Eat shit… and die." Talon retorted.

Culda clicked her tongue and made a sound of affirmation, but also of warning. She stood up and kicked Talon in the chest, knocking him on his back with him still being completely helpless. "I guess you'd rather lose both sisters instead of one."

A heavy door was heard opening, Talon trying to see which direction it came from. A muffled whimper was heard, and heavy footsteps echoed through the room. A figure was pushed beside Talon and he turned to see that it was Cassiopeia. She had a gag in her mouth and her eyes were puffy.

"Cass…"

A heavy boot gently stepped onto her back, soon pressing itself down rougher with Cassiopeia letting out muffled screams. They were blood-curdling to Talon. He felt a boot step on his neck and he began choking before Culda released it. She leaned down to speak into his ear. "Either you tell me where Katarina went… or I'll have Minh there slowly slit your sister's throat." Culda hissed.

Talon couldn't speak. He saw Minh unsheathe a blade and he observed it.

"You will watch the blood trickle from her neck as the knife severs every vein. She'll drown in her own blood. Cassiopeia is merely innocent in this situation. You wouldn't want to see your innocent sister die because you refused to answer a simple question, do you?"

He still didn't respond. Talon was likely in shock from the current scene. He'd seen a lot of stuff that would likely make a person freeze, but this shocked him. His own sister could die right here if he didn't speak.

"Minh kill her." Culda said without hesitation.

The armored man nodded and jerked Cassiopeia up to a harsh position. She continued to whimper and let out a muffled scream when Minh started to draw the blade ever so slowly across the skin. Talon could see blood trickle through and he broke.

"IONIA! IONIA!"

Minh immediately stopped his cutting upon hearing this. He pushed Cassiopeia back down who started to sob while covering the spot on her neck. Culda smirked and crouched beside Talon. "What was that?"

"Ionia! Katarina went to Ionia!"

Culda raised a brow. "And why did she do that."

Talon didn't reply this time. The woman sighed and beckoned to Minh to resume what he was doing. Talon heard Cassiopeia scream.

"To bring back the Noxian who took down a dark mage! The Sovereign! Swain ordered her to go! She left Noxus on a horse! That's all I know!" He said quickly.

Culda actually blinked in surprise. She'd remembered the work that Germez did with The Dark Sovereign. And then she remembered that James was still alive in Ionia. That's when she came to the realization that he was the one who took her down. Nobody else could have done it.

And now Katarina was heading to Ionia to bring him back.

Culda stood up, her fists clenched as she gestured to Minh to finally leave Cassiopeia. Before leaving, she pressed her boot down onto Talon's neck again.

"Thank you." She said with venom.

The two of them took their leave from the dungeon, leaving the Du Couteau siblings in the amber light as a weeping Cassiopeia weakly crawled to her wounded brother, putting her arms around him and bringing him closer for an embrace. Despite what Talon just suffered through, he was relieved that Cassiopeia was still alive.

…

* * *

Riven was sitting on the bed in a little cabin, looking out at the sea as the ship slowly rocked. Everyone else was up on the deck, keeping the ship on full alert and armed, leaving her alone in the interior. She couldn't believe that she was leaving it to return to the place that left her for dead, but it was for her good friend James, and she would endure the penalty when she returned to Noxus.

She heard someone open the door to the cabin. It was Maddoc, holding two mugs of rum, courtesy of Miss Fortune. He offered her one which she took with a sly smile. The two of them looked out at the land they started to sail away from.

"You know, I never thought about what I'd say… if I ever saw you again." Maddoc said.

Riven said nothing, just taking a sip of her rum. It was a strong taste and she winced.

"There was nothing you could've said Maddoc. I was presumed to be dead." Riven replied. "I didn't expect you to do such a thing."

"Yeah, but you're not. You're alive and well." He said a little grimly.

Her brows furrowed. Riven took his hand with hers. "What's wrong?"

Maddoc sighed. "Were you going to return to Noxus? Were you going to come back?"

The Exile bit her lips. She had a feeling that Maddoc would've been more understanding than the usual Noxian, but that wasn't enough for her.

"I didn't intend to. Not after what they did." She said bitterly. "They'd probably hang me right in front of the city for abandoning my position."

Maddoc grimaced. "You know I wouldn't let that happen right?"

"They'd probably do the same to you. Not to mention that it's probably become worse with Culda." Riven replied. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't endanger your life Maddoc. I thought you'd see me as a deserter… and a coward."

The man was quite shocked at this. He grabbed Riven's arm and made her face him. She looked alarmed.

"Is that what you think?" He asked sounding almost broken. "Do you think that I'd ever see you as that type of person Riven?"

A tear slipped down his cheek, Riven's brows furrowing. She could see it in his eyes. He loved her more than anything. How could she even believe that he'd consider her to be a coward?

"You're a strong woman Riven, and I love you." He said firmly. "Don't think for even a moment that I'd consider your actions to be cowardly, and worthy of treason."

Riven gave him a sad smile. No tears escaped her, but her eyes were slightly glistening. The words he said made her feel much more comfortable, and it cleared her mind of troubled thoughts. Maddoc returned the same look, but he then bit his lip slightly. "Riven, I have something to tell you."

The Exile leaned closer to him, showing he had her full attention. "What is it Maddoc? You can tell me."

"I uh… the captain of this ship, Miss Fortune? She… forced me to sleep with her."

The girl titled her head with a raised brow, showing complete confusion and bewilderment. Maddoc gulped.

"B-But!" He said putting his hands up. "It wasn't consensual! You can actually thank Katarina for selling me out." He continued further with a grumble. "The only way she'd take us here."

Riven sighed. She felt a little pinch of hurt, and maybe even betrayal when he said that, but then again, he thought she was dead. In addition to this, the words he said moments ago about his love for her were undoubtedly real and sincere. The girl turned back to him.

"Hey Maddoc?"

"Yeah?"

"In case I forgot to say it... I'm glad your here. I'm happy to see you again."

Maddoc smiled, leaning closer to Riven while closing his eyes, but she put her bandaged hand out to halt him. The man didn't need to take a hint, stopping his advances upon the feeling of contact.

"Maddoc, wait," Riven said. "Listen... I uh, I need some time to think about this. About us."

He bit his lip upon hearing this, but he nodded, understanding what she was saying. "You seem tired. I should probably let you get some rest." He said standing up to leave the cabin, opening the door in the process.

However, he felt The Exile grab his arm. "Wait!" Maddoc looked at her again. Her red eyes seemed to be needy. "Maddoc... would you please... stay with me tonight? Can you sleep with me?"

The man didn't answer, closing the door and sitting down on the bed beside Riven. It was smaller compared to others, but she didn't care, and neither did he. Riven rested her head on the pillow, scooting over slightly to give Maddoc some room. She weakly smiled when he swung his legs and got comfortable beside her. The Exile pulled the covers up and curled up slightly under them, getting more comfortable as Maddoc relaxed. They said nothing else as they let sleep take over their minds. Riven felt more comfortable compared to a few days ago. The presence of someone she knew closer to her was something she hadn't felt in a while, and Maddoc provided that comfort.

…

* * *

"Culda, you may want to check with your advisors on this." Minh said hesitantly.

"Now why in the hell should I do that?" Culda snapped. "We don't have the time to hear their opinions! Katarina could quite possibly be heading back here as we speak with James! By the time they'd reach a conclusion it'd be too late."

"We don't know for sure if she actually made it to Ionia. She could've run into a problem and might even be dead." Minh said trying to sound reassuring.

"Do you think we can really count on that? This is Katarina Du Couteau, The Sinister Blade! She could wipe out a small encampment within minutes!" Culda exclaimed.

Minh slumped his shoulders with a sigh. Culda bit her lip with the emerald eyes looking down at the tiled floor. "Minh… do you trust me?"

He looked away briefly. "Yes… I do madam. I'm just not-"

The Captain's words were cut off when Culda suddenly slammed her lips into his. Minh couldn't help but return the favor. Culda's taste was sweet and intoxicating, her lips warm all the while. While it was just a kiss, to Minh it felt like the breath of life. Culda slowly drew away from him, looking a bit vulnerable for a short time. Her hands were on his arms, feeling the muscular build on the skin. Her breathing became a little bated.

"If you do… then please don't try to behave like one of my advisors. You pledged yourself to me, to follow me into the darkest reaches of Runeterra, to stand by my side, and obey my command." Culda said with clenched teeth before sighing. "And after learning that one of my advisors kept such valuable information from me… I need your trust more than ever."

Minh was silent for a few moments. He gently put his hands on Culda's shoulders, staring into her emerald eyes.

"Culda Graves, my Grand General, I will follow you to whatever end. You can trust me… always."

Her mouth twitched with a little smile. The door opened, both figures turning to see the shadow of Sion. The Undead Juggernaut was donned in his warmonger's uniform, his new and improved axe gripped tightly in his right hand.

**"My General, Culda Graves, you summoned me."** He said with his deep, booming voice.

Culda smiled at him. "You are correct my champion. The reason why I've called you here is that we've run into a little problem."

**"And what is the problem?"** Sion asked. **"No matter what it is, I will ensure that my ax fixes it!"**

Culda chuckled at his intensity, the thirst for blood, and the devotion in serving his leader.

"I've learned that the daughter of the late General Du Couteau has left for Ionia." Culda began. "She intends to bring back a man who could possibly jeopardize everything that I've done for Noxus."

Sion's eyes widened, the grip on his ax's handle getting tighter. "**Who is the coward who abandoned Noxus and traveled into enemy territory without the intention to destroy?! I'll wipe my ax on their bones!"**

"It's Katarina Du Couteau, and she intends to bring back someone I consider to be one of Swain's loose ends." Culda said. "If she succeeds, I will lose my leadership, and Noxus will lose its image of strength."

**"I will not let Noxus fall into scheming and underhandedness. Not again. Never again!"** Sion yelled.

"Excellent my champion!" Culda exclaimed. "I need you to find these puppets of Swain and crush them. Slay them with your ax, I do not care! Just ensure they never, ever, return to Noxus!"

**"Of course, my General, it shall be done."** Sion said. **"Where can I find them? Where do the cowards hide?!"**

"Right now, they are likely on a boat in Ionia and are sailing back to Noxus, slowly drifting closer and closer each passing moment." Culda said. "I need you to take a ship out to the sea and meet the cowards head on. Make the water turn red with their blood."

Sion was actually surprised by this. **"My General? I thought they were on land. Am I being reduced to a dog like Darius?!"**

Culda's eyes widened with shock, her mouth gaping. She scowled at him. "Absolutely not! You are nothing like that weak coward. You ARE the Hand of Noxus Sion!"

**"I find it strange that you're sending me on this personal quest. I thirst for battle! For war!"**

Culda sighed. "Sion, my greatest and strongest champion; Do you like that way I am handling things?"

The Juggernaut blinked in confusion.

"I have resurrected you, given you new armor, and have shattered the images of Swain's ruling. I have used the supplies we've taken from Ionia to forge new weapons. To demonstrate our strength. That keeping secrets hidden are just wasting weapons. I know that you thirst for battle, but sometimes to best your opponent, you must fight fire with fire, and beat them at their own game."

Sion grumbled. **"I long to battle against those who oppose Noxus."**

"And you will." Culda purred. "Before one sets a plan in motion, they must think about any potential and unseen threats. This is only the beginning, Sion. After you've slaughtered Swain's puppets, your glory and thirst for battle will be shown. All you must do first is tie up this loose end."

His glowing red eyes looked down at Culda's emerald pupils. Sion nodded silently. **"Who are they?"**

The woman's eyes soon showed solemnly and she scowled. Culda took her Luden's Echo. Mumbling a few words, Culda closed her eyes and concentrated her mind. A purple line of magic expelled from the staff and up behind the knife embedded in Sion's head. The Juggernaut slightly reeled back as she kept channeling.

Minh felt a bit uneasy at the sight of this. He started to hear Culda growl and noticed she was also gritting her teeth. The woman was feeding Sion the information of both Elise and James, as they were the two she wanted dead. Culda's blood was boiling as she recalled the memories of James. One could think that her grip on the staff would cause it to ultimately break and shatter. She was as bloodthirsty as Sion was for a moment.

Finally, it ended with Sion's eyes closing and his breathing hitched. Minh tended to Culda who's hair was now disheveled.

"They are Elise, The Spider Queen, and Noxian Commander James Holland. Both of them have caused me trouble, and they deserve to be hung by their entrails, and their corpses paraded through the city." Culda said with venom. "Since they cannot set foot in Noxus again, I want you to slaughter them, and make them beg for mercy. Show them what happens when you dare to defy Culda Graves."

The woman calmed herself down after saying those words. She and Minh looked up to see his eyes were still closed. However, Sion's glowing red torso altered the color slightly, becoming more of a darker red. His eyes opened, and they changed to the same color. It's like he'd been filled with Culda's anger… and hatred.

**"Heat… and… rage!"**

...

* * *

A single ship was idly floating in the docks of Noxus. It was a modestly sized vessel, enough to hold over 80 crew members.

Culda didn't need that many.

The woman was standing in a cloak, watching as a portion of her personal guard marched in unison onto the boat. They were armed with swords and hextech guns, their armored helmets glowing red in the eye sockets. They were a mixture of men and women being led by Minh.

He had reluctantly agreed to lead this voyage, Culda insisting she could handle herself for a short time without him. The true reason was that his soldiers felt less nervous knowing he was there.

Speaking of nervousness, Sion was the reason for causing it amongst the crew. He was focused on two goals; kill Elise, and kill James Holland. If anyone was going to get in his way, ally or enemy, he would slay them down with ease, driven by rage to execute those who threatened his leader, Culda Graves. He boarded the ship.

Culda took a deep breath as the ship weighed anchor, sailing off into the night.

"There will be no mercy for The Spider Queen, or James Holland. By tomorrow, Sion's ax will be stained with their blood." Culda said to herself.

The woman left the docks, not bothering to look back at the ship that disappeared into the darkness.


	20. Tangled and Bloody Webs

James was asleep on the ship's deck. He didn't really get a lot of it the night before so he could use it. The sky was particularly cloudy, and even a bit dark in some spots. It made the crew a little nervous, fearing that it may become foggy and make their venture become a little more dangerous. They wouldn't be able to make out any ships in the distance and given that they were still in Ionian territory, running into any kind of ship was the last thing they'd want.

Miss Fortune got dressed again, giving a sleeping Katarina who was nude under the blankets a quick kiss on the noggin before heading outside to the deck, proceeding up to the helm where Rafen gave her control of the ship.

Evelynn was resting next to James as he slept, enjoying the comfortable feeling of his presence. She loved this man and felt like it was her duty to spend every waking moment with him. After all, she'd never loved anyone before in her life.

"Evelynn?" A familiar voice asked.

The Agony's Embrace let out a sigh, looking to her right to see Elise leaning on the stairs to the helm. Her posture showed cockiness and malice, but her red hues seemed to be rather… vulnerable. Evelynn raised a brow at this. "What is it, Elise?"

The Spider Queen sighed, pacing closer to Evelynn who narrowed her eyes and moved to cover James slightly while giving Elise a stern look. She knew about the pale woman's jealousy towards James and while she didn't expect her to do anything drastic, Evelynn felt protective.

"Can we talk please?" She asked.

"About what?" The succubus snapped.

"About… us? Maybe?" Elise said with slight irritation.

Evelynn blinked in disbelief. She stood up, walking toward Elise slightly and crossed her arms while clicking her tongue inside. "What do you mean us? There is no us Elise."

"So I suppose all those nights when you came to Noxus for some fun with me, that meant nothing?" Elise said, actually snickering slightly. Evelynn had an unamused look. "I'm pretty sure those were just wild flings for us. You know it, and I know it."

The Spider Queen couldn't disagree. Truthfully, her reason for being objective towards her and James being together was because she was afraid.

"Do you truly love him Evelynn?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." She replied, not even bothering to hesitate in answering. "If I recall correctly, prior to him almost ripping off your spider leg, you seemed to have some respect for him. Even liked him."

Elise rolled her eyes. "So what if I did? It doesn't mean I wouldn't kill him in a heartbeat with my magic."

"That's not the point honey." Evelynn giggled. "You saw, and can still see why I love him. At first, it was just because of how good he was in bed, but when he showed he wasn't afraid if getting his hands dirty, that pretty much sealed the deal."

The Spider Queen let out a frustrated huff at the answer. Evelynn snickered. "Tell me, Elise, why do you care so much if I love him?"

Elise bit her lip. "It's because love is a silly thing. It's sometimes even dangerous. It exists solely in children's tales to lead them into a false sense of comfort, not knowing that the world is cruel and out to get them. It's like an hourglass, filling up the heart while the brain empties."

Evelynn titled her head with minor confusion. She was about to respond before Elise cut her off.

"Tell me Evelynn, what happens when the glass shatters?" The woman asked bitterly. "What happens when your presumed true love takes everything in that glass and shatters it on the floor without hesitation?"

The succubus started to get a little irritated by Elise's words. Not because she thought she was trying to ruin her relationship with James, but because they actually had some truth in them. After all, James hesitated in telling Evelynn that he loved her last night. She figured that he was still adjusting to the situation and his tighter embrace on her showed that he shared the feelings, but regardless, he faltered in saying it.

A groan was heard, drawing both women's attention. James grumbled as he woke up, standing up with a stretch, his bones snapping as he did the motions. He lazily took notice of the two present women, Elise looking at him with an unreadable expression while Evelynn seemed to be a little needy.

"What's going on?" He asked.

The Spider Queen smirked in a sinister way and took a step towards James who tilted his head back slightly, but he also didn't back down. The two of them narrowed their eyes.

"Tell me, dear Holland," Elise said with a minor hiss. "do you love Evelynn? Do you truly love her with all your heart?"

"Elise." Evelynn growled.

Ignoring the succubus's warning, Elise kept questioning James. "Would you allow her heart to be filled with emotions? To let her remain in such a weak and vulnerable state only to shatter it immediately?" Elise asked as her grin turned into a disturbing, toothy one.

"It's time you listen to me Elise." James snapped. "I do not know fully if I truly love Evelynn with all my heart. It is something that I am struggling with. I tried to replace my feelings with anger, and hatred." He said stopping momentarily. James looked at Evelynn who almost looked like she was hurt by his words. He quickly put his arm around her, pulling her closer with such swiftness and force that she had to put her palm on his chest when they made contact. "But I couldn't. She showed me a part of her that I never expected to find in a… woman like her. She may seem like a cold-blooded predator and demon on the outside, and that is probably what she is. However, she is also kind, and sometimes innocent when she wants to be. It reminds me of Jade, how she helped me maintain my modest attitude instead of being reclusive. I feel that connection with Evelynn, except it, seems like the roles may have been switched." He continued with a chuckle. James slowly turned his head to meet Evelynn's slightly glistening eyes. "I feel comfortable around her Elise, and I'm certain that she feels the same way."

This time Evelynn took action. She tugged on James, turning him towards her. Their hands went to their arms with Evelynn pulling the man in for another kiss. It was short, but it didn't lack emotion or feeling. Evelynn gently rested her head on his chest as James wrapped his arms around her back while slowly turning to Elise. The Spider Queen sighed, shoulders slumping to signal her acceptance.

"Well, I suppose that… I should accept it." She said. "I didn't think that it would ever be possible for you to love someone Evelynn, but if you love this man, then I am in no position to stop you."

The succubus could've sworn she heard a little sniffle from the pale woman. She brought her head up, looking at The Spider Queen with bewilderment. Elise hadn't answered Evelynn's question on why she loved James.

"Elise?" She asked a little coldly. "Have you ever been in love? Did you get your heart broken?"

The Spider Queen huffed, her breathing becoming uneven. "It doesn't matter what I experienced in the past. I am an immortal monster, and so are you Evelynn. I do not allow myself to become associated with feelings such as love. Becoming infatuated with it leads to nothing but disappointment." She took another long sigh, giving a stern look to James. "If you do truly love her, never shatter the glass. Sometimes it ends up breaking more than just a person's heart."

Elise walked away from the two, her heels emitting clacks when contacting the deck. James and Evelynn looked into each other's eyes. Evelynn's lips quivered a little.

"Do you believe that's all I am James?" She asked, sounding a little groggy. "Just an immortal monster?"

James remained quiet. He gently cupped her and placed his lips on hers again, the woman almost becoming limp as her heart melted. "I do not see a monster Evelynn; I see a beautiful woman. The monster isn't what I fell in love with, it's the woman that's hiding underneath. The softer, gentler Evelynn who isn't all lust and about killing."

Her brows furrowed with a smile. James had his gloved hand on her chin.

"Do you still see me as the man you stalked and intended to take everything from?" He asked with a little smirk.

Evelynn giggled. "Don't ask stupid questions."

…

* * *

"Again. Come on Maddoc." Riven said helping him up.

"Oh man, you're just loving every moment of this aren't you?" Maddoc chuckled.

Riven laughed but also had a friendly smile on. She asked Maddoc what he'd been doing since she was presumably declared dead in Noxus, and after being very specific on him grieving for her, Maddoc explained that Katarina had opened up more to him as a friend. She and Talon welcomed the young soldier into their manor where they'd taught him more experience in hand-to-hand combat. Riven was quite impressed that he'd even starting to use a sword, though he was far less experienced in that field. She and him had been sparring on the deck, a few of the crew members watching them with Sarah amongst the crowd.

"Do I enjoy embarrassing my friend in front of a bunch of pirates? Not really." Riven said. "Is it funny? Yes."

"Ah shut up." Maddoc said.

The Exile sighed. She brought her fists up, showing that she was ready for another go. Maddoc was exhausted, hair disheveled with sweat dripping down his face. He looked at Riven and took a deep breath.

"Come on!" She said.

Maddoc balled his fist, reeling his arm back and sending his fist at Riven's face. She easily grabbed it, pushing the hand aside and sent her own fist at his face. Maddoc grunted as he stumbled back. Riven tried to club him from the right, but he blocked it. The Exile attempted an uppercut, Maddoc moving both elbows to block it.

"You can't keep blocking!" Riven said. "You'll be pushed into a corner if you do!"

Riven's fist went under to Maddoc's torso, striking it and making him groan with his defensive stance breaking. Riven struck his head again, trying it a second time, but Maddoc grabbed it with his right hand. Riven was actually taken aback from this and didn't react fast enough to dodge Maddoc's punch to her face. Seizing his chance, Maddoc punched Riven's torso and then brought his hands together, thrusting upward into her chin and sending the girl falling back a few feet.

The Exile quickly got back up, trying to hit Maddoc's head again, the man blocking it and he sent an uppercut to her chin, Riven falling flat on her back. Maddoc watched her get back up, wiping away a minor amount of blood on her lip.

Maddoc jumped at her, Riven side stepping effortlessly. He sent a clumsy punch at her and then tried to thrust his elbow, Riven blocking it with her own. Maddoc moved to swing at her, but Riven sent a quicker punch at his nose which managed to touch a sensitive nerve and Maddoc reeled back, clutching it with a groan. The Exile showed no mercy, moving to her dazed opponent and performing a roundhouse kick that made him spurt some blood. The man recovered from the hit, swiping at Riven who crouched and jumped when he tried to sweep her off her feet.

Maddoc sent more punches, Riven crouching and sidestepping to avoid them with her opponent grunting a little angrily. After a fatal miss, Riven hit Maddoc's lower body, the man groaning in pain. She sent heavy blows to the same spots on the other side and it seemed to take its toll on Maddoc. Riven then tried to uppercut him, but Maddoc managed to block it, sending a high kick to The Exile's head which made her spin and stumble back. Maddoc smirked at this, feeling like this was finally the chance to beat her.

Maddoc charged Riven and he tried to strike her down. However, The Exile saw this coming and she crouched down, pressing her back against Maddocs front. The man realised his mistake. Riven grabbed his extended arm, using her leverage to throw him over her shoulder and Maddoc was harshly slammed on the deck. Riven quickly pinned him down, putting his left arm on his back and threatening to twist it.

"Yield?" Riven asked.

Maddoc sighed at another defeat, rolling his eyes. "I yield. You win… again."

The Exile immediately got off Maddoc, extending her hand to help him up. He looked at it before turning his gaze to Riven. The man grasped it, Riven pulling him up to his full height. They noticed a few of the pirates snickering at the man losing repeatedly to a woman. Riven scoffed at this.

"He almost took me down that last round. Probably better than any of you could even come close to doing."

The pirates glared at The Exile, Sarah choosing to step in. "What're you still doing here?! Get back to work!" She ordered.

Miss Fortune shot Riven a look that warned her not to get on the crew's bad side but also sent a message of admiration. The redhead walked away, Riven and Maddoc left in their own presence. The Exile bit her lip while looking at Maddoc, noticing that he was still panting from the spar.

"You weren't kidding when you said Katarina and Talon had trained you." She said.

"It still wasn't enough to beat you hand-to-hand. I lost." Maddoc said chuckling.

"That doesn't matter Maddoc." Riven said with a more serious tone. "You didn't lose. You learned." She sighed after talking. "And I do believe… you left a bruise on me."

Maddoc huffed when hearing this. He also smiled at the words. "Sorry I guess?"

"Don't be." Riven laughed.

…

* * *

"Steady as she goes." Minh said to the captain.

He received a sound of agreement, keeping his gaze fixated straight ahead. Minh looked over the balcony of the helm, looking at the deck below where his soldiers were doing usual routine checks along with some mopping the floor. He noticed a significant lack of presence at the bow, likely because it was where Sion was.

He hadn't moved from that spot at all since the ship left Noxus.

"Is he just going to stay in that spot for the whole voyage?" A female guard asked.

"Hey, as long as it means he's out of our way, I don't care at all." A male guard replied.

"I also trust you know what to do when we finally encounter our designated target?" Minh asked, overhearing their small exchange.

"Sir, yes sir!" They both said in unison, saluting their superior.

Minh huffed, clearing his throat before shouting to the crew members to form up. They immediately did.

"When we intercept them, everyone is to be killed, but do not go after Elise and Holland! Culda practically hypnotized Sion to execute them both, and he won't care if you're allies or not! Kill the crew, but leave the two targets to him! Do you understand?!" He shouted.

They gave him a salute, making Minh take a deep breath before straightening his posture.

An inhuman sound was heard from the bow. Everyone on the deck froze, even Minh. They looked at Sion who appeared to be… sniffing the air. The sound was deep and disturbing.

"**I smell blood. The blood of cowards. The blood of… Swain's Puppets." **Sion seethed.

The Undead Juggernaut raised his axe forward, pointing east of his position. Minh's eyes followed his gesture, seeing several dark clouds ahead. A distant thunderclap was heard and a flash of lighting followed soon after.

"**There… that is where the cowards are."**

"Sir, you're not really considering actually having me steer in that direction right?" The captain asked nervously.

Minh took a deep breath, obviously thinking the same thing. However, Sion shot them a deathly glare and he turned fully to the crew. **"YOU REEK OF FEAR!"**

"We could sink in that storm." The female guard whispered.

"**ONLY COWARDS FEAR DEATH!"**

Minh leaned closer to the captain. "Hard to starboard."

"What?!"

"If you don't turn, that storm won't kill us, but Sion will. Hard. To. Starboard." Minh whispered with venom.

The ship turned right, heading directly into the storm. Sion raised his axe with a war cry, thirsty for battle and blood.

…

* * *

"So, tell me, honey, where are you from?" Miss Fortune asked James who was currently leaning over the railing of the ship. Evelynn had chosen to spend some time with Elise, curious about her words regarding her and James.

"What's it to you?" James retorted.

Sarah snickered. In his hindsight, James could tell that the captain was obviously checking him out. Miss Fortune locked her lips when she noticed his holster and the weapon that was in it. She delicately reached for it but felt James grab her hand with his. The redhead curled her lips into a smile as she winked at the man who was glaring underneath his red visor.

"Hands off." He said bluntly.

Sarah pouted. She leaned closer to him, exhaling her breath on his mask. "Tell me, just how tough is that armor you're wearing?"

"How about you tell me why you're behaving like such a slut." James retorted. "You consider yourself to be a captain?"

"Just because I'm a captain doesn't mean I can't have a good time honey." Sarah retorted. "Besides… it'd be unwise to steer the person who's in control of this ship the wrong way, especially when you're in the middle of the sea."

James ignored the playful threat. He found it to be amusing that a woman like Sarah could behave in such a sultry manner, yet she could also be imposing whenever she wanted to. He chuckled.

"Well, to answer your question, I'm from Zaun." He said.

Miss Fortune uttered a sound of a satisfied answer. "Did you also invent those guns on your own?" She asked gesturing to his holster. James gave a careless shrug. Miss Fortune laughed. "I don't suppose I could possibly buy them off you right? And your armor?"

"Not for sale." James replied bluntly.

Sarah sighed and waved her red hair slightly. "Well, I suppose I don't have to. I could always just charm you and steal it in the bed."

"You'll do no such thing Sarah!" A voice said. Both of them turned to see a now awake Katarina pacing towards them, stepping in-between the two. "Just because you had Maddoc doesn't mean I'm giving James to you as well."

Miss Fortune blew a strand of red hair out of her right eye, pouting playfully at The Sinister Blade. She sighed and shrugged. "Alright."

The Bounty Hunter took her leave, but felt Katarina spank her plump backside. Sarah seemingly flinched, but shot the redhead a wink and strutted away, leaving Katarina and James alone. They were quiet for a few moments before James asked Katarina what the deal with Sarah was.

"She's someone you really, really don't want to get involved with. Trust me." She said laughing.

"And yet you said something about her having Maddoc?" James replied.

Katarina's laugh quickly stopped. She cleared her throat. James's words reminded her of why she made a deal with Sarah in the first place. To sail to Ionia to retrieve her presumed father. James put his hand on her shoulder, making Katarina slightly tense up, but she allowed it.

"You know, when I thought you were dead, I felt like a knot had formed in my stomach."

"I think that's a normal reaction to such a situation." James said.

"It wasn't out of that." Katarina said bitterly. "James… you're like a brother to me. Do you remember when we had our first encounter? All those years ago? In the cafeteria at the academy?"

This seemed to be right out of the blue and it baffled the man slightly. He silently nodded.

"I remember how I berated you. Said you were a weakling." Katarina continued. "I never got to apologize for saying such things. Knowing that you were dead, everything that I did to you in the past just flooded my mind and haunted me."

"Katarina." James said sternly. "I'm alive now, that's all that matters. Look… just… why are you telling me this?"

The redhead took a deep breath and her expression soon became a bit of a scowl. She grabbed his wrist and pressed it firmly against her chest. James raised a brow at this and felt uncomfortable.

"Because you are the strongest man I know James. Your influence over Noxus made me have the highest respect for you, and I still hold that respect as we speak. You may be the only one who can truly stop Culda. I will follow you wherever you go, whether it's to the darkest corners of this world, or into hell itself. When you look back, you will see me behind you, following you, no matter what. I don't care what you intend to do after this is all over, but you will always, ALWAYS, have my support, Commander… Holland." Katarina said with a hint of anger in her voice.

James compressed his lips. His free hand gripped The Sinister Blade's shoulder rather roughly. He took off his entire helmet, looking blankly at the redhead before letting out an amused huff. "And I expect nothing less of you Katarina. I'm sorry that we couldn't find your father, but I am thankful that you've come all this way. I owe you a great debt."

Katarina firmly nodded with a confident smile. She released his hand, both of them leaning on the rails and looking at the seemingly grey and gloomy sea.

"You remember when you said you'd rethink that offer about buying the whole damn bar?" James asked. "Think you'll keep that promise?"

Katarina processed his words and smiled playfully before gently pushing James causing him to laugh.

A thunderclap was heard in the distance, drawing both James and Katarina's attention. Ahead of their route, a storm appeared to be brewing, and it was quickly looking quite dangerous.

"Uh, Sarah?" Katarina asked loudly, almost shouting.

"I see it, I see it!" Miss Fortune said quickly running to the two Noxian's. "Relax, I've been through worse."

James blinked. "You're really going to sail us through that?"

"They don't call me Miss Fortune for nothing sweetie." Sarah said winking.

James said nothing while Katarina snorted. Miss Fortune tightened her hat, turning to the helm and quickly pacing towards it. She placed both hands on the railings.

"All hands on deck! Movement! I want movement from you lazy bilge rats!" Sarah shouted in a very commanding tone. "Rafen, get those below deck up here now, or they're keel hauled!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Katarina and James exchanged looks before nodding and choosing to depart. The full crew came up, quickly getting to work in making their ship more secure.

James went below deck in a search for Evelynn. He actually bumped into her, the succubus having heard the commotion up on the deck and noticing the approaching storm. He noticed Elise walk up behind Evelynn, The Spider Queen giving a strange look to James.

"Elise?"

The pale woman sighed. She walked to James, putting her hand on his shoulder. James would've normally been surprised, but Elise's current look showed him she meant no harm.

"I'm sorry Holland." Elise said grimly. "I'm sorry for the way I've behaved around you, acting even out of assumed jealously. I was afraid."

"What do you mean?" James asked with a raised brow.

"I have been in love before. Many… many centuries ago." Elise said forlornly. "I don't want to go into the specifics about it. Oh yes, it was sweet for a while… but we both knew that deep down, he was mortal, and I was just an immortal monster. He made me feel like I wasn't one, that I was human… just like him."

Elise wiped below one of her red hues.

"But that was forbidden! I could never love someone. Not after all the pain it brought me when I severed my ties with the man."

"Why did you do it?" James asked.

"I already told you Holland. It's because I'm nothing but a monster!" Elise exclaimed. "I'm nothing but this horrible thing, but it gives me immortality. It allows me to maintain my power… and my beauty. I couldn't just give that up. I refused to. I didn't think that you and Evelynn would possibly become a couple… but you have, and its opened up that old wound in me. These emotions have been buried deep within me for so long, and now with you and Evelynn, they're resurfaced. My strength and power feel like they've all but vanished. That below this attire, and this beauty…" Elise said gesturing to her uniform. "…lies a scared, and mortal woman."

James tilted his head, blinking in disbelief. The Spider Queen seemed to be quite vulnerable at the moment. She was a deadly predator, much like Evelynn, but now, she also seemed to be showing her… well presumed innocent side. James put his hand on her shoulders, meeting the red hues of Elise. She seemed to be looking a bit desperate.

"Sometimes… even the most seemingly evil, hardened figures, look for something that most people search for; Love… and Acceptance." James said. "I would know. I've been there… but sometimes… it takes a little boost to make you realize it."

Elise looked at James with a rare look of astonishment. She frowned, looking at Evelynn who remained quiet throughout this whole ordeal.

"Take care of her Holland…" Elise said. "Show her that you love her… and that even the evilest, sadistic monsters in the world, can also love."

James nodded, Elise smiling sincerely at him. Evelynn finally stepped forward, taking James's hand with hers. The succubus then let go, cupping James's head with both hands and practically pulling him in for a deep kiss. Evelynn tasted delicious as always, and James tasted delicious to her. Their kiss deepened when James took control, gently pushing Evelynn against the wall. Elise only watched with an amused smirk, arms crossed all the while. James ended the kiss, moving his mouth down toward her jawline, trialing it further down to her neck. Evelynn made strangely adorable sounds, closing her eyes at the sensation.

"Oh James…" She moaned as he started to give light nibbles to her neck.

"SHIP SPOTTED!" A voice shouted from above.

Elise's eyes darted upwards with James and Evelynn following the motions. They heard the crew start to hustle more quickly, prompting them to investigate. The three of them ran up to the deck, getting caught in a downpour of rain that had come with the storm. Riven, Maddoc, and Katarina were looking ahead with the majority of the crew. He saw Miss Fortune take out a telescope at the helm, Rafen and a few crew members by her side. The trio ran up to join the redhead.

"What do we have?"

Sarah took a few moments to answer, studying the silhouette in the distance. The clouds were dark and the drenching rain wasn't helping, but she kept a firm gaze.

"Looks like… a Noxian ship?" She said sounding very unconvinced.

"What?" James asked.

Elise immediately raised her brow's in suspicion. Why was there a Noxian's ship all the way out here? The Spider Queen closed her eyes, concentrating her mind before snapping her fingers. She'd summoned a spiderling on the ship in the distance.

_It was in the helm. She saw several figures moving about on the deck, overlapping shouts sounding on the vessel, most being about a ship being spotted._

_The spiderling was suddenly picked up, scrambling to get free. Elise gritted her teeth, her face twitching with annoyance. Then, she saw something that made her seethe with rage._

_Elise's spiderling was being held by a man in unique black armor. The man who tore off her extra legs back in Noxus._

_It was Minh._

The last thing Elise saw and heard, was her pet being crushed by Minh's fist, severing her connection from it. Her eyes opened up, glowing red with rage and dark energy.

"That is a Noxian ship, you are not mistaken, captain." Elise said. "But, it's loyal to Culda Graves… and it's captained by her personal guard."

"What?!" James said alarmed.

"Shit." Sarah said. "Are they hostile? They don't know who's on this boat right?"

"They do now." Elise said, realizing that summoning her spider had likely put them in jeopardy. "And they are likely heading this way."

Miss Fortune cursed under her breath. She gave control to Rafen and walked down from the helm to the deck.

"Listen up you bilge rats! We've got company! That ship isn't friendly and it's coming for us!" Miss Fortune barked, soon giving orders to her crew. "Man the capstan! Keep that powder dry! Batten down the hatches, make ready the guns, and stick to them! NOW!"

The crew didn't wait a minute, quickly scrambling across the wet deck with overlapping voices.

"What the hell's going on?!" Riven asked as James and the others joined them.

"That ship's commanded by Culda's personal guard." James said grimly. "How did she find us? The rumor of the Noxian taking down The Sovereign must've reached her."

"That's not possible." Katarina said sternly. "The only ones who heard it was Leblanc and Vladimir, with me, Swain, and Talon being the… oh no." The Sinister Blade's lips compressed as she silently cursed. She gripped her daggers as she soon scowled. "I'm gonna kill them all."

"Oh, this is bad. This is really bad." James said nervously. He felt Evelynn take his hand, meeting her gaze. The succubus's skin changed back to that familiar eerie blue. James raised a brow. "Evelynn… you need to find safety."

She scoffed. "I can fight James. We all can. And don't think for one second that I'm going to stand by and watch you fight without me. I was born of a thousand screams. What's one more?"

James would've protested more, but the situation was quickly running out of time to argue. He grumbled as an affirmation and Evelynn smiled. The succubus entered her demon shade, disappearing out of sight. James looked at his other companions, Katarina sharpening her blades, Riven gripping her broken sword, Maddoc holding his own sword, and Elise's palms glowing with dark magic. James took a deep breath, drawing his rifle and gripping it, his finger on the trigger.

"Steel yourselves."

Miss Fortune observed the other ship that had changed its direction, turning to it's left with the intention to meet her ship board-to-board. She took another look at it through her telescope, noticing that the crew appeared to be setting up something with a figure in black armor directing them. She closed the object, taking nervous breaths at the ship got closer and closer.

"Rafen!" She shouted. "Whatever happens, stay your course!" He nodded back.

Everything seemed to fall silent abruptly as the ship got closer. Miss Fortune didn't blink, keeping her azure pupils locked onto the vessel. She closed her eyes, listening to her heartbeat as it kept increasing. A whistling noise was heard above, breaking Miss Fortune's silence as she looked up. Narrowing her eyes, she saw an object soaring in the air, smoking left in its path where it ended at the other ship.

"What the hell?"

The object landed on the edge of the deck, an explosion of green appearing as a few crew members were knocked off, falling into the raging waters below. Sarah's eyes widened.

"FIRE! FIRE ALL!" She shouted.

"TAKE COVER!" James shouted to his allies.

Everyone except the gunners took cover, firing at the approaching ship with dozens of cannons. The cannon fire boomed and created steaming holes in the Noxian ship with wood splintering, a few of the guards falling off the deck. Miss Fortune jumped down from the helm, taking position beside James and the crew members who were armed, the swordsmen at the bow of the ship.

"RELOAD THOSE GUNS!" Sarah shouted.

Her crew scrambled to put more ammunition into the cannons, but they then heard another whistling in the air. About three charges were being launched from the ship, falling downwards to the cannons. The pirates managed to move out of the way with more explosions sounding. A fourth charged was fire at the mast of Sarah's ship, damaging the structure but it remained standing.

"Goddammit!" Sarah cursed.

"Brace for impact!" Rafen shouted.

James peeked out to see that the ship was now dangerously close and he gasped. The two ships collided with one another, the momentum throwing everybody off as wood splintered from the collision. The mast's damaged figure gave out, splintering as it fell towards the other ship, creating a barrier between Riven, Katarina, and Maddoc from the others.

"_ATTACK!" _A voice shouted from afar.

Miss Fortune looked up, seeing dozens of figures in dark armor with helmets glowing red leap onto her ship, a few armed with swords with others having hextech guns. They wasted no time in attacking the disoriented pirates, cutting them down with ease.

"DEFEND YOURSELVES MEN! TO THE DEATH!" Sarah shouted as she stood up, priming her twin guns.

James opened fire alongside Sarah and other crew members, managing to take down at least a few of the boarding guards before those with guns returned fire.

"Take cover!" James said vaulting behind make-shift cover.

"Under fire!" Sarah exclaimed joining him.

"_Holy shit! They got guns?!"_ James thought to himself.

Flashes were seen and gunfire heard on the deck of the ship. Culda's personal guard anticipated they'd be able to easily cut down the pirates as they were more brawlers than warriors, but the crew of Miss Fortune fought back fiercely. However, this only proved to be more a nuisance in terms of close quarters combat as most of the guards blocked the swords, their advanced armor offering more protection as well. The only true advantage they had over Culda's guards were numbers.

Katarina, Riven, Maddoc, and a handful of pirates were still separated from the other half of the ship. Dozen's of guards boarded their side of the ship as well, armed only with swords. The Exile briefly looked at Maddoc who did the same to her before they raised their weapons, the pirates and Katarina already clashing with Culda's forces.

A pirate leaped at a female guard, attempting to strike her down with the use of strength and force. She easily parred it with her sword, though she was pushed back slightly before sending a swift kick to the pirate. He was knocked down and the female guard quickly embedded her blade into his torso. She appropriately reacted when three pirates attacked her with a male guard joining the fight.

Riven ducked to avoid a blade that almost decapitated her. She swung upwards, only to find that her blade had been parred unexpectedly. The Exile attempted to stab the guard with him blocking it again. He seemed to be intentionally holding it down when Riven tried to get her blade free. She heard footsteps behind her and Riven managed to sidestep, avoiding the blade aiming for her back. The guard behind Riven wasn't quick enough to react when she grabbed the blade and sent it into the guard keeping her blade pinned. She elbowed the one behind her, making them stumble with her swinging around and severing their head.

Maddoc managed to jump back from the guard who tried to slice his midriff, with the guard ducking to avoid the wide swipe for her head. She got up and brought her sword down, Maddoc parring it, but the guard expected this. She kicked him down with Maddoc trying to swipe again. Their blades clanked, both trying to force the other one down to the floor. The female guard growled and put her hand on Maddoc's neck, soon choking him with the man croaking. Gritting his teeth, Maddoc let out a yell and grabbed her arm, twisting it harshly. She wasn't ready for that and he slipped under her shoulder, tripping her down and driving the blade into the back of her skull.

Katarina drove both daggers into the neck of a guard, pulling them out and turning around to block a sword aiming to slice her in two. She held it back with her daggers, noticing another guard charging her. The Sinister Blade used the sword trapped in her daggers to block the assailants' attack by bringing it down and stopping the sharp edge from getting any closer to her. The two guards struggled against her and pushed her against a wall with their weapons still pinned. A third guard approached them, Katarina making the choice to break free. She used her strength to swing her blades upward, releasing the guard's weapons abruptly with them stumbling back with the sudden action. She charged the third guard, using one dagger to par them and sending the other one to their neck.

"Up high!" James alerted, him and Miss Fortune firing at a guard who'd taken a height advantage over them, soon mowing her down.

"Watch the sides!" Sarah said next.

A pirate shot down another guard, turning his attention to the next, only to find that he was out of ammo for his weapon. He took cover when they returned fire, the bullets shredding through the make-shift cover. Other pirates opened fire on the guards, both sides taking causalities and the pinned pirate quickly moved out of cover, practically diving to tackle one down. He drew a cutlass, sending it into the chest of the guard who yelled in pain but managed to pull the trigger of his gun and shot his assailant dead before succumbing to his wounds shortly after.

More guards boarded the ship, yells of combat from both parties echoing into the night. Gunfire was exchanged, Bilgewater pistols against Hextech guns. Sarah's crew had taken cover behind crates and barrels, peppering their attackers with bullets. Dozens of guards fell, but they didn't let up.

"To the right!" James continued to call out the guards he spotted, hoping to alert Miss Fortune and her crew to that direction. It was mainly just her who followed his actions as the pirates were engaged in a bloody and desperate battle. He mowed down a few flanking guards with Sarah's assistance.

"I might have to offer you a spot in my crew!" Sarah said laughing.

"Don't get cocky!" James said.

By now their cover had been greatly reduced with gaping holes from the guards' weapons. James and Sarah figured it was time to move. They hustled across the deck, managing to avoid fatal shots. However, as Miss Fortune was about to take cover next to James, a bullet went for her head, narrowly missing her skull with her hat getting shot off. Sarah noticed this and growled.

"NOW I'M PISSED!" She said cocking her pistols.

The redhead exited her cover despite James's protests. Miss Fortune unleashed a barrage of bullets. James was surprised by this and could've sworn he heard her laughing like a maniac for a few moments. Sarah cut down numerous guards, their bodies falling flat on the deck.

"So you'll do that for losing your hat, but not for the damage against your ship?" James asked.

"Hats have power, honey!" Miss Fortune said laughing. "And they're a symbol of authority in Bilgewater!"

James just shrugged with him and Miss Fortune continuing to pepper their enemies with bullets. Through the battle, flames had started to come alive despite the downpour.

On the guard's ship, some of the crew had taken positions, using their weapons advancements to their advantage, picking off the crew of the other ship. A female guard reloaded her gun, clicking the chamber in place and taking aim again. However, she suddenly felt that something was off amidst the situation. Her hearing became deaf, and she raised a brow under her helmet.

"_**Come on, touch me…"**_

The woman heard what sounded like someone blowing a kiss to her right, turning to see a curvaceous woman only a foots length away. The guard couldn't help but let out a lustful sound, her shoulders slumping.

Then she heard a mad feminine cackle.

Abruptly, the woman in front of her seemed to become an apparition, eyes glowing red with horns of the same color appearing. She felt something get lodged in her chest, slicing through the armor like it was paper. Evelynn giggled as she yanked the still-beating heart from the female guard who soon collapsed dead. Another guard noticed this and screamed in terror as his face was hidden by the mask. Evelynn quickly disposed of him as well, beginning to attack more guards before they could react. At the same time, some who were crossing the ship to board Miss Fortune's found themselves losing their weapons as thin strands of webbing yanked their Hextech guns from their hands resulting in the object falling into the dark waters below, forcing the guards to resort to knives which put them at a disadvantage against the gun-wielding pirates.

Evelynn's presence was noticed by the other guards with them turning their weapons against the succubus. She licked her lips with a malevolent smile and easily moved to avoid the gunfire. She looked up at the lookout deck of the ship, giving a little nod and a pair of crimson orbs glowed in the darkness. The next thing the guards knew, a horde of spiders descended upon them, a few moving to avoid the deadly attack. Those that survived witnessed the horror of the spiders exploding on their trapped comrades in a messy fashion. A strand of webbing grabbed two guard's boots, throwing them into the air with Evelynn's lashers severing their bodies in a splat of crimson. Elise roped down from the look-out, standing beside Evelynn with a cocky smile.

"Seems like old times." Evelynn giggled making Elise snort.

A guard stood up, aiming his weapon at the women, only to find it was empty. Evelynn and Elise simultaneously turned around, seeing the guard as he whimpered and threw away his weapon. Evelynn exchanged looks with Elise and The Spider Queen raised a suggestive brow before the succubus paced towards the man. A lasher moved around like a scorpion's tail before it abruptly went to slit his throat.

However, the man actually grabbed it much to Evelynn's shock, her mouth agape and eyes wider than ever. He yanked it forward, punching the succubus back where she groaned. He drew a knife, swiping at Evelynn who dodged it with ease. The guard was actually faster than she expected, but his weapon didn't leave any wounds. Evelynn's claws came into play, swiping back at the guard who parred them with practiced ease.

He attempted to lurch it upwards to her neck, Evelynn parring it this time with the man retreating the weapon. He tried to stab Evelynn, the woman stepping away and taking advantage of the overextended arm. The man reeled back and used his arms to block Evelynn's claws going for his head, though they did penetrate the flesh. He elbowed her hand off and raised the knife above his head, bringing it down to drive the blade into Evelynn's skull. She held it back, though the man was pressing his weight onto her smaller figure and she clenched her teeth, resisting his strength with the guard growling.

The next thing Evelynn knew; her face was drenched in crimson as the guard's throat practically exploded thanks to the interruption of Elise's magic. The body fell to the deck, Evelynn giving Elise an unamused look.

"I had it handled." She said with a pout. Elise snickered at her.

The two women looked to see the battle which had taken a dramatic turn in favor of them. Evelynn and Elise's work turned the tide, hopefully, for James and the others. Elise then remembered something and she started to glare.

"_Well, well, well…"_

The Spider Queen growled, her crimson orbs flaring as she turned around. She remained silent when seeing a lone figure clad in onyx armor. Dark magic sparked in her claws and Evelynn raised a thin brow at this sudden mood change.

"Looks like I missed a spot." Minh said referring to Elise's only extra leg on her back.

Elise snarled, her palms now completely lite with magic. Minh didn't take any action, only staring at The Spider Queen. "You will be absolutely delicious to Vilemaw." She said with malice. "Well, what will be left of you."

Just as Elise was about to blast Minh with her magic, a heavy footstep sounded from behind her. She froze for a moment before slowly turning around as another footstep sounded. A silhouette of a large figure was pacing towards her and Evelynn. Elise's eyes widened. "No… it can't be…"

"**YOU ARE WORMS!"**

The Spider Queen morphed into a spider, quickly roping upwards just in time to avoid the giant axe that embedded itself into the deck, splintering wood in the process. Evelynn quickly dashed away, meeting the red gaze of the giant for a moment before disappearing into the shadows.

"**Where are you going?! Nowhere!" **Sion roared while looking up at Elise who had morphed into a human again.

Minh chuckled, choosing to leave Sion alone with one of his targets. The man looked over to the other ship, seeing dozens of bodies, both his soldiers and of the crew. He spotted a figure who stood out from the others. Narrowing his eyes, Minh recognized them. **Riven.**

Minh was surprised by this. He activated both his arm blades, pacing to board the other ship.

Elise's breathing was hitched, taking in the horror she just witnessed. Culda had reawakened Sion, The Undead Juggernaut. Evelynn joined her atop her position, a little nervous actually.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"A resurrection that went wrong by The Black Rose." Elise said grimly.

"Can we kill him?" She asked pleadingly. "Just the way I like em, big and stupid."

The Spider Queen offered no response. She knew how to kill, or in this case, dispose of Sion. She just had to get that knife out of his head. Elise summoned a swarm of spiderlings above Sion who noticed this. He groaned loudly and just as the creatures were about to converge him, the undead warrior surrounded himself in a red shield, vapor emitting from his torso.

"**I FEEL… NO PAIN!" **He roared.

The shield around Sion detonated, sending every spiderling on him into the air where they exploded and dissipated. Some of the venom from the creatures had splashed onto the mast of the ship, bubbling and eating through the wood. The two women felt it creak and Sion noticed this. The Undead Juggernaut grabbed the limping wood, pushing it over with the structure splintering fully and collapsing onto Miss Fortune's ship.

James just emptied another clip into three more guards, taking a clip from his equipment and proceeding to reload. However, he heard the pirates and guards alike shouting about the collapsing mast of the other ship, and it was falling right towards him. Miss Fortune noticed this.

"MOVE HONEY!" She shouted.

The Bounty Hunter practically lunged at James, tackling him to the floor with the mast missing them by a few inches. Katarina had joined their side of the deck, engaging the guards in a flurry of blades and steel. Elise and Evelynn managed to leap off the mast, but they were still up too high and they landed harshly on the deck, falling unconscious. Miss Fortune was also currently unconscious from the movement and James moved her out of harm's way. However, after doing that, he saw Rafen fall from the helm and onto the deck. James looked up at the helm, gripping his rifle as he gritted his teeth.

James cautiously walked up the stairs to the helm, seeing a lone guard kill another pirate who attempted to overpower them. The Noxian aimed his rifle at the unaware guard, pulling the trigger to take them out.

_ **Click** _

James looked at his rifle with alarm and the guard turned to him. Clenching his teeth, James activated the bayonet on his rifle and charged them with a war cry. The guard drew a sidearm, shooting at James with them missing a fatal shot, but the bullet did make light contact with his armor, practically creating a red scratch along his arm. James didn't stop and he impaled the guard right through the abdomen. They croaked as James lifted them up, allowing the bayonet to penetrate through their back before throwing the body harshly to the floor. James panted heavily, clutching the wound on his shoulder. However, more guards soon came up, forcing him to take cover.

Minh crossed the ship, stabbing a pirate who was wounded on the floor to put him out of his misery. The man came across Riven who was engaged with a female guard. Minh proceeded to kill The Exile from behind, but he was soon tackled by an unknown assailant. He grunted as he hit the deck, seeing a familiar face soon after.

"I guess it'll take more than a broken shoulder to show you your place." Minh said.

Maddoc glared at the man and raised his sword in a manner of rage, violently bringing it down onto Minh who parred it with one arm blade. He kicked Maddoc off and stood to his full height against the other man. Without hesitation, Maddoc charged Minh who blocked the man's sword. Immediately, Minh began to use his superior training in combat against the man. Maddoc's strikes were heavy but quite clumsy and Minh took advantage of that. Minh easily sidestepped a predictable lunge from Maddoc's sword, swiping at his neck with a blade that Maddoc dodged. Minh started to take more action, thrusting at Maddoc with him being forced to pace back as he avoided any fatal attacks. However, Maddoc realised that he was backing into a corner and before he could change it, Minh forced him against the wall, holding back Maddoc's sword with one blade.

"You call yourself a Noxian?" Minh asked with venom. "You can barely swing a sword."

Maddoc offered no verbal response and Minh brought his other blade up. The captain made sure his victim was watching before he abruptly shoved the blade into Maddoc's shoulder, the same one he broke a while ago. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream at the feeling and Riven heard this.

The Exile briefly looked behind her, seeing her friend pinned against the wall by a larger, familiar man.

Minh chose to abruptly pull the blade out, moving to decapitate Maddoc who managed to duck down and avoid it. The man got out of the corner, bringing his blade up to par Minh's next slash which the captain didn't expect. Maddoc uppercut his sword into Minh's right arm, managing to bypass the armor and wounding Minh with him exclaiming and reeling back, clutching the cut.

Seizing his chance, Maddoc again charged Minh who recovered and turned to block the sword with both blades. He disarmed Maddoc by throwing the sword out of his hands. Minh punched Maddoc with him spinning around and Minh uppercut both blades up the man's exposed back. His shirt was torn open and Maddoc fell to his knees before falling fully unconscious on the deck.

Minh took deep breaths, clutching the wound as he winced under his helmet.

"_**You cannot go unpunished!"**_

Minh's posture straightened, the man knowing who was behind him. Minh cracked his neck both ways before turning around, seeing Riven standing with her blade hanging lazily in her right hand. She glared daggers at him.

"I must say I'm disappointed you're not dead. Perhaps Culda will have her wish after all of hanging you." He said before eyeing her broken blade. Minh scoffed. "Even if you had that blade on Jade's final night, it still wouldn't have done any good."

Riven's temper flared and she let out a feral sounding scream. The Exile charged against Minh who prepared himself. Riven jumped into the air, gripping her blade tightly as she thrusted at Minh who blocked it with both arm blades. Riven backed off for half a second before spinning around to find Minh had anticipated this, stopping her attack with them locked in a standoff.

"You're no poster child of Noxus, just another weakling." Minh taunted.

"Yet I'm holding my own against you, fucking brute." Riven retorted.

The Exile pulled away again and swung horizontally with Minh moving back. She lunged at him, the blade raised above her head and brought it down to Minh who blocked it with one blade this time. He used his other one to stab her, but Riven shifted away as the blade left a light cut across her exposed shoulder. She cried out at this and grabbed the handle of her blade, thrusting it into Minh's torso with him grumbling and breaking off. Riven attempted to decapitate Minh who crouched to avoid it and he tackled Riven to the floor. He pressed his weight onto her and aimed to drive both blades into her head, but The Exile stopped it with her blade, using one hand on the grip with the other on the blade itself. However, the sharper points were past the blade and Minh started to push down on the smaller girl with his strength and advantage. Riven gritted her teeth as she tried to resist it, but given her position, it was a losing battle.

Taking a deep breath, Riven quickly put her other hand off the blade's end and grabbed the handle tightly. Minh's blade pushed down to where it almost stabbed Riven's eye, but she shifted her head, the blade embedded into the wood just an inch away. Gripping the blade, Riven cried out and it released a burst of runic energy. Minh was stunned and Riven managed to slash his side with her blade, knocking Minh off her with a groan. Riven stood up, still gripping the handle tightly and she swung with her full body weight at Minh who was on his knees. The captain managed to raise a blade to block it, but his embedded weapon was actually broken off when this happened. Riven delivered a kick to his exposed stomach, knocking Minh over with a roll before he quickly stood back up. When Riven swung again, Minh was ready and he blocked it with his other blade that remained intact. He trapped Riven's wielding arm with his and they were locked in another standoff. Minh noticed Riven's blade was quite close to her throat and she also noticed this. Minh put his hand on the blade, pushing it slowly closer towards The Exile's throat with Riven's eyes widening.

"You're finished." He seethed.

The Exile growled and released her grip on her sword. The weapon idly fell down slightly and with her no longer wielding it, Riven was allowed to escape Minh's grasp. His eyes widened under his helmet and Riven crouched down, catching the blade in her left hand. She kicked Minh's legs and with both hands firmly on her blade's handle again, Riven let out a cry as she uppercut it to Minh's front.

Minh yelled in pain as his armor was cracked and he was sent flying a few feet back, crashing on the deck with long, heavy pants to recover. Riven calmed down, pacing slowly towards the defeated captain. Minh slowly turned to look at her, and The Exile was surprised to see that she'd cracked one of his helmet's eye sockets. Minh had a fresh cut along his eye that was leaking blood quickly. Riven gripped her blade as she kept walking towards him.

"You always struck me as one with a softer side…" Minh said with an exhausted tone. "…no wonder Jade died that night."

Riven scowled at him and prepared to finish him off. However, she heard a gunshot close to her and she tensed up, seeing a surviving guard amongst the corpses shooting at her with a hextech pistol. She growled and lunged at them, quickly finishing them off before turning to finally kill Minh. However, the captain had disappeared and Riven narrowed her eyes. She saw the defeated man limp back onto his ship, clutching his wound as he groaned in pain. The Exile would've gone out of her way to kill him personally, but she heard a groan from Maddoc who had regained consciousness and she quickly went to help him up.

Through his limping, Minh was supported by two of his guards that came to his aid.

"Medic! We need a medic!" One of them shouted.

"The crew of that ship is almost spent, but we're not fairing any better sir." The other one said. "We're taking a lot of losses, what should we do?"

Minh looked over to see that Sion had practically boarded the ship. He wasted no time in knocking aside both pirates and Minh's guards with his axe in a reckless fashion.

"P-Pull back. Retreat." Minh said like he was choking on his own blood. "L-Let Sion f-finish them. He's… spotted the targets…"

A medic came out and took the battle-worn captain into the ship with him as the other two guards started to bark orders to fall back to those on the other ship. A few of them heard and safely made their way back, but some were also unlucky enough to either be gunned down or run into Sion.

Miss Fortune and Katarina were fighting side-by-side, the gunner shooting at the guards with a joyful laugh. Katarina used her skills to good use, sending blades into Culda's guards and cutting them down.

"Ah, you have my back Katarina! Just like you always do!" Miss Fortune said laughing.

"Gotta protect that delicious ass of yours Sarah!" Katarina replied.

Sarah noticed that eventually, the fighting was starting to die down with shouts of retreats from both her crew and the guards.

"Well look at that! They're finally smartening up and retreating!" She said laughing.

After saying that, both Katarina and Sarah saw a guard's body get thrown in front of them. It was mangled and bloody, almost seeming like it was torn apart. "What in the hell?" Sarah said wincing.

"**RUN FROM ME!"**

Both women turned to see Sarah's crew shooting, with half of them actually fleeing, what appeared to be a figure that was over 10ft tall. Their mouths gaped as it cut down several people, a mixture of Minh's men and Sarah's crew, in a single sweep of it's ax.

"**IS THIS… WHAT PASSES FOR WAR?!" **Sion bellowed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Sarah exclaimed.

"WHO THE HELL CARES?! SHOOT IT!" Katarina said.

Sarah unleashed another barrage on the giant figure. Sion shielded himself, the bullets merely exploding into nothing upon impact. **"Is that all?!"**

Sion detonated the shield with a roar. He stared down the redheaded duo with a deadly glare. The Undead Juggernaut sent a shockwave at them with such force that both Sarah and Katarina were sent flying back into the walls of the captain's cabin. They broke through the windows and landed on the floor, unconsciousness from the impact. Sion let out a gruff, savage sounding laugh before he continued his slaughter of the crew, and what guards remained.

The gunfire had died down significantly, allowing Sion to hear more clearly. The Undead Juggernaut heard yells from the helm, jerking his head upwards. He could see a man in unique armor engaged in a little firefight against three guards. Sion recognized him.

"**James Holland." **He growled. **"My general's enemy."**

Minh's ship had another intact mast on it, and the captain gave one last order of retreat before choosing to break off from Sarah's ship, leaving it fully with whoever was left at the mercy of Sion.

Elise groaned as she finally woke up, clutching her head in pain as she winced. She saw Evelynn laying face down on the deck. The Spider Queen moved to give her aid, but then heard approaching footsteps. She tensed up, turning to blast the person with her magic, only to find it was Riven helping a wounded Maddoc get around. Their gazes met, the women exchanging nods before a loud cry caught their attention. Elise saw Sion marching to the helm, where she could see James engaged with now only two guards, his back turned and oblivious to Sion.

"Holland…" She said to herself.

Riven's eyes widened with panic and she gently put Maddoc down before sprinting towards the helm with Elise roping up.

"COME ON YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" James said as he kept firing his gun. The Noxian wasn't aiming anymore, just point shooting instead. His armor was significantly damaged, fresh blood seeping out and his visor was cracked. James didn't let up.

James dropped another guard and turned his attention to the last one. The guard shot at James with his pistol and this time, the bullet went right through his shoulder. James spun from the impact as blood spurted from the wound, but he returned to his position and with one last shot, he mowed down the guard by shooting his temple.

With the last guard dead, James inhaled sharply and clutched his wounded shoulder, groaning with pain. He heard a loud step behind him, and the man quickly turned around, his rifle raised again despite his wounded shoulder.

"What the… fuck?"

Those were the first words that James said when seeing the giant figure marching to him. Eyes that showed the thirst for blood and battle with a large ax. James regained his courage, pulling the trigger on his rifle.

_ **Click** _

He almost panicked when this happened, but James gritted his teeth. He charged Sion with a war cry with the bayonet on his rifle primed. The Undead Juggernaut raised his hand to block the blade that managed to slice through his rotting flesh but caused no pain. James's eyes widened and Sion growled.

The Undead Juggernaut yanked the rifle out of James's hand, throwing it aside and raising his boot to kick James down. The force felt like a gunshot to the Noxian and he was almost knocked out when he hit the floor. Sion towered over him as James shook off the impact. He reached for his sidearm, but Sion quickly grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up, James dropping his pistol in the process.

"**MISCREANT!" **Sion roared.

James managed to raise his boot and kick Sion's face, knocking him off balance for a moment, but it did no damage. Sion prepared to impale James on his axe before a piece of webbing was fired at his face, blocking Sion's vision and stunning him. A web was fired at James's back, sticking to him before he felt himself get yanked out of Sion's loose grip and hitting the deck.

"HOLLAND! MOVE!" Elise's voice sounded.

Sion growled in a frustrated tone as he yanked the webbing off his face, seeing his target now crawling away from him. Before he could advance, Sion was stunned by a burst of runic energy and he looked down to see a girl with white hair in front of him. The Undead Juggernaut recklessly swung his axe at Riven who dove under his legs and slashed at his feet. Sion grunted and tried to swing again, missing his target once more. The Undead Juggernaut quickly turned around, seeing Riven taking another slash at him. He raised his axe and slammed it against her sword. Sion used his size to grab Riven effortlessly and practically throw her over the helm onto the deck.

Another web struck his face, Sion stunned all the while with Elise leaping on top of him, grabbing his helmet and throwing it off. The Spider Queen stared at the dagger for only a second before moving to grab it. However, when she made contact with it, her palm suddenly caught on fire briefly and she yelped.

Culda had covered the dagger with a magical shield, and it would cause any kind of magic that would come near it to become ablaze.

Sion yanked the webbing off his face again, noticing that Elise was atop his head. **"Spells… hmph." **

The Undead Juggernaut reached up, grabbing The Spider Queen with his large hand and slamming her down onto the deck with the wood splintering. Blood spurted from Elise's mouth as she groaned. Her crimson hues met Sion's and he snarled.

"**Another of Swain's puppets! NO MORE!" **He shouted.

Sion grabbed Elise's last spider leg and yanked it off with ease. Elise let out a blood-curdling scream and Sion lifted her up, his hand on her throat. He hefted his axe as he choked The Spider Queen, not allowing her to cast any more spells.

"**DIE, NOXUS WRETCH!"**

Elise felt a sharp pain in her torso and she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Sion's axe had been impaled into her body, and it's pointed end was slightly sticking out the back. The Spider Queen spat a large amount of blood onto Sion's face with The Undead Juggernaut not even flinching. Elise felt something she never imagined she'd feel. Her body started to feel numb, and cold. Her vision started to blur, and her movements became less and less, arms and legs dangling. 

James's eyes that had a hard time staying open became abruptly wide when seeing this.

Elise, The Spider Queen, was impaled on Sion's ax, and she wasn't showing signs of life.

"No… NO!" He shouted.

Sion turned around when hearing this. He could see his other target standing a few feet away from him. Laughing coldly, Sion pulled his axe out of Elise, letting her body fall to the floor as a pool of blood started to form around her.

"**YOU'RE NOTHING!" **Sion roared.

James clenched his fist as a jolt of anger flooded through his body. He retrieved his pistol, firing as fast as he could at Sion who didn't even falter. The man knew he should move, but right now, seeing what Sion did to Elise made him angrier than ever. He'd take Sion head-on if he had to.

Regardless, Sion easily picked up the exhausted James. The Noxian sent a few punches at Sion who felt nothing but a little bump. He hefted his bloody ax, preparing to execute James.

"**I'LL DROWN YOU… IN YOUR OWN BLOOD!"**

James inhaled sharply. He fought to the very end. He did his best. And despite all of that… he still lost. Culda had won.

He closed his eyes, preparing for what was about to happen. Everything around him fell deathly silent, James's breath the only sound he could hear.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"**WAAAAAAARRRR!"**

James felt himself get dropped abruptly. He groaned at this, his vision blurry as he looked up at Sion who seemed to be in agony.

The Noxian raised a brow before Sion turned his back, and James could see a figure on The Undead Juggernaut's back.

"El-… Elise?"

The Spider Queen was a bloody mess, her midsection had a gaping hole in it, but that didn't seem to affect her. Spiderlings swarm Sion, distracting him as Elise grabbed the dagger again. Her palm quickly caught fire, but she didn't care.

With a loud, painful grunt, Elise finally yanked out the dagger, falling off Sion as it was the only leverage keeping her on there. James saw her fall to the deck, her body almost as lifeless as before. Sion stopped moving and roaring. James briefly saw this before the large body of the undead warrior started to fall forward. A splinter of wood was heard as Sion's body weight tore through the back of the helm, falling lifelessly into the water with a loud splash.

The Undead Juggernaut was once again defeated.

James only looked at it before turning his attention to Elise who was resting against the helm's wall. She was utterly, and literally, spent. He groaned as he crawled towards her.

"Elise…"

The Spider Queen weakly turned to James. Despite being drenched in blood that was pooling around her, he could make out a smile.

"Holland…"

James reached her, resting beside her. "You… saved me."

A weak chuckle came from the woman. James noticed the increasing blood around her. He looked at her tensely. "What… Elise! Use your spells!"

She sighed, looking away. "How else… do you think I… managed to gather the energy to… take out that beast?"

The man gasped. He took her hands with his and stared into her crimson orbs. "No. No! You're not… you're not gonna die!"

Elise only smiled weakly, taking a long blink. "Perhaps it's time… to say goodbye…"

"No! You… You're not dying on me!" James said. "I can't lose a friend!"

"Oh… I'm a friend?" Elise chuckled, keeping up that playful attitude. "Weak mortal… always caring about others."

"Elise." James said sternly. "Why won't you heal yourself? Why are you doing this?!"

"My powers are merely gone…" She droned. "…I have no more energy left…"

A tear actually slipped down James's eye. His breathing became bated and he grunted with frustration. He looked sadly at Elise whose appearance started to change as well.

Her sinister power started to fade. Her red hues becoming less and less bright, her dark hair becoming streaks of white. James actually raised both brows when he noticed that her figure was becoming more hideous. Lesions were appearing on various spots, grotesque weal's her arms and legs with her flesh becoming discolored all the while.

"Elise…" He said forlornly.

"Shh, it's okay dear…" Elise said calmly. "…I think it's time this immortal monster finally stops living a lie… and embraces her true… form."

James groaned and looked at a body of a guard. He grabbed it and dragged it over to Elise. "Come on, won't feasting upon fresh flesh restore your power? Come on!"

Elise only chuckled in a wheezy tone. "The Spider demands fresh sacrifices… my dear James…"

His breathing became more uneven and broken. Jams looked at his arm and quickly yanked the damaged armor off. He held it to the dying woman who was a little surprised.

"Then let me be the sacrifice! I don't want you to die!"

"Ahhh, there it is…" Elise said with a minor hiss. "The crazy, little actions… caused by love." James blinked. "The reason… you're doing this… is so Evelynn… won't have to… suffer through losing a friend. You truly love her."

James sighed in defeat, realizing that his action was indeed out of the blue and irrational. He stared tensely into Elise's eyes, that were no longer crimson red. Instead… they were just lifeless. They had sunken deep and had crow's feet.

"I thought you said love was a silly thing." He said, his voice breaking evidently.

"I was lying about earlier… with love being a silly thing." Elise continued. "Love is a beautiful thing… and with the right person… it's a meaningful thing."

"Elise… please… don't do this." James said.

"I couldn't allow Evelynn to suffer through losing… a lover." She said sounding strained. Elise was starting to choke on her blood. "Her losing a friend… will cause pain… but with her lover by her side, with you… by her side… she'll discover comfort that she's never had before…"

"And… what comfort is that?" James said, sadly accepting Elise's chosen fate.

The Spider Queen laughed and choked before answering. "It's the comfort of true… love. The comfort of having someone… by her side. A shoulder she c-can… cry on. Someone to be her smile if she's happy. Someone… she can always count on to be there if she's damaged.

James and Elise's eyes met again. Her face, which had been spared from the horrible transformation, finally became distorted. He wasn't faltered at all by this. James felt her hand's grip with his loosen. James's eyes widened at this, and he saw Elise's head lazily shift down, resting fully against the wall.

"Elise?"

James's breathing became heavier and bated. Another tear slipped from his eye. Elise's eyes rolled back.

"No… no. Elise? ELISE?!"

"James…?"

The man's gaze darted upward, seeing Evelynn standing at the stairway of the helm. Her fluorescent eyes were glistening as she looked at the bloody mess that was Elise. The once beautiful appearance of The Immortal Spider Queen had all but faded. She looked like a cadaver, covered in blood.

Evelynn's lips quivered before she fell to her knees, weakly making her way to The Spider Queen. Evelynn put her hand on Elise's chest.

There was no heartbeat.

"No… it's not…" She said, croaking on her words.

Evelynn felt a knot form in her body. Her eyes glistened greatly as a single tear slid down. She sniffled as she took in a new reality.

Elise, The Spider Queen, who'd been Evelynn's friend for centuries, was dead.

Evelynn felt empty, disconnected. All the memories of her and Elise flashed in her mind. The memories she thought would go on forever, and ever, felt like knives cutting through her body. Evelynn croaked before gently taking Elise's lifeless body, pressing it against her as she cradled it, sniffling as she let out quiet sobs.

James's breathing became louder and heavier. He felt anger like no other. A thirst for blood, and vengeance not only for his lover Jade but also for Elise.

The Spider Queen may have been hostile towards James for a good amount of time, but her recent revelations showed him the reason why. He could somewhat understand it.

With an angry yell, James slammed his fist into a piece of wood. It created a significant dent and his torn gloves gave less protection from the impact.

He didn't care.

James kept punching the wood, again and again, yelling angrily as his hands became bloody and bruised. Evelynn's quiet cries became wails, taking in the fact and horror of her best friend, her only friend actually, being killed.

"The tangled webs you weaved." Evelynn whimpered.


	21. Finally An Edge

Evelynn felt hollow inside. Empty, and nothing more. Even with her lover James by her side, the succubus felt alone. She'd never felt this way until the end of The Rune Wars from centuries ago. Her eyes were puffy, but her expression remained unreadable. The blue woman watched as the bloody and mutated looking corpse of Elise was covered up by a cloth, finally putting it out of sight of everyone's eyes.

James was in silence as he stood by Evelynn. He seemed to be calm, but it was a deadly, inhuman calm. He was angry beyond belief. The words that Elise said to him as she slowly bled to death stayed in his mind, echoing over and over again, haunting him. James looked at Evelynn, bringing a shaky, blood hand up and putting it on her shoulders. The woman didn't react.

"Evelynn…" He said, his voice trying to remain steady. "…I'm so… so sorry. It was my fault." Evelynn said nothing, her golden eyes fixated upon the blanket that was covering the corpse of Elise, knowing what laid beneath the fabric. "I know what it's like… to feel this. It's okay."

The succubus only nodded slowly, not looking at James who took his hand off her shoulder.

"I need… some time alone… James."

Evelynn didn't wait for a response, not that she needed one. She paced away from James, walking down to the interior to the ship, not intending to return to the deck anytime soon. James took off his helmet, pinching the bridge of his nose with the hand on his now bandaged arm.

A man's groan was heard, and James looked to his left, seeing Riven helping a wounded, but slightly patched up Maddoc move around. They nodded at James who nodded back when they came up to him.

"How bad is it?" He asked.

"Nothing but a little paper cut." Maddoc said jokingly, sounding strained while doing so.

Riven grunted with annoyance at this. "His back's bandaged up, but it still needs time to heal. Minh's blades left red streaks up the spine, but nothing too serious. His shoulder's worse."

"No, it's not!" Maddoc exclaimed. "It just… needs some…"

The man tried to move his shoulder that was undoubtedly severely wounded. His words stopped short, letting out a pained groan with Riven sighing in annoyance surprisingly.

"Come on, let's get that wound patched up." She said before stepping forward, the wounded man having no choice but to follow.

"Be careful down there." James said not looking at the two. "Evelynn's… kind of going through an adjustment for the moment. Just watch yourselves."

Riven looked back at James, her brows furrowing as she remembered hearing Evelynn's wailing when she regained consciousness. She no longer held what remained of her ill will towards the succubus, to an extent.

"James." She called out, not looking at him. James barely turned his gaze over his shoulder towards Riven. "If you do love her, it's better if you spend time with her in her troubled moments… rather than leave her alone."

She and Maddoc went below deck, leaving James to think about Riven's words. It made him recall something Elise said to him not 12 hours ago.

_"Take care of her Holland. Show her that you love her… and that even the evilest, sadistic monsters in the world, can also love."_

A tear escaped James's eye as her voice echoed again. He bit his lip, taking out the picture in his pocket of him and Jade. It was miraculously unharmed from the battle. He clenched it tightly in his hand, putting it away and quickly pacing down to the ship's interior.

...

* * *

Miss Fortune was alone in her damaged cabin, her hair beyond disheveled and her uniform was torn with now dried up cuts and wounds. What remained of her crew had tossed the dead overboard. It was the tradition in Bilgewater, so they had no problem with it, but James was insistent on saving Elise's body. Sarah accepted that. The redhead was more than relieved that her liquor cabinet remained unmolested by the battle. She took a glass cup, filling it with whiskey all the way to the top before taking a single, hearty gulp from it. She felt it burn her throat, but she didn't make a single sound from the feeling. The door opened and Rafen stepped in, his shoulders slumped as his steps made the wood groan. Sarah didn't have to turn around.

"What's our headcount?" She asked.

He let out a sigh. "17 in total. If we're counting the new arrivals that's 22. Used to be 23."

Miss Fortune bit her lip, examining the empty glass in her hand before grabbing the bottle, pouring herself another drink. "And the masts?"

"The main one's destroyed, can't be repaired without the necessary supplies." Rafen answered. "The smaller ones are intact, but one of them has several holes in it, making it nearly useless."

Sarah gulped down the drink. She turned around to meet the eyes of her first mate. "Alright. Thank you Rafen. You can go."

He nodded, pacing out of the cabin as Sarah wiped her face with frustration. Footsteps sounded again, and she looked up to see Katarina pacing into the cabin. A little smile came onto Sarah as her friend paced to her. The Sinister Blade stopped a few feet away from Miss Fortune who was leaning against her table. Katarina crossed her arms.

"So, what's the situation?"

Miss Fortune quietly giggled. "It's not good. With only one mast, it'll take several days to reach our destination. Assuming that you're still up for that."

Katarina huffed at this. She looked away, biting her lip and offering no verbal response.

"How'd they find us?" Sarah asked. "How could they have possibly known where we were?"

The Noxian sighed at this. How did Culda know she left Noxus? Did somebody talk? She felt anxiety as she came to a conclusion. "Apart from Swain, the only one who knew about my departure was… Talon."

Miss Fortune raised a brow at this. She crossed her arms, considering her next words carefully. "Do you think… he talked?"

Suddenly Miss Fortune felt herself get pushed and she hit the table, the impact knocking the bottle of whisky off with a shatter. Katarina had her trapped, the assassin's eyes showing anger. Sarah kept a stern look.

"Never question my brother's loyalty Sarah." Katarina hissed. "He was taken in by my father and I know him better than anybody else in this world. I know he wouldn't talk…" She stopped, her voice becoming softer with the last words. "…Culda must've found out… and tortured him. Not to mention… my sister."

The blunt tone of Katarina faded away, her expression showing a rare vulnerable side that not a lot of people saw. Sarah was surprised, gently putting her fingers on the woman's sharp jaw.

"I'm sorry Kat. I really am." She said before sighing. "Look, I'm not sure what happened or how she found us, but I'm certain that she wouldn't go so far as to… well kill them. Your family has an influential presence on Noxus right?"

Katarina actually snorted. "We do, but I doubt that matters. Noxus moved on with the presumed death of James, not to mention my father." Her voice soon became bitter. "Oh gods… Talon…"

Having seen enough, Miss Fortune firmly cupped Katarina's head and made her face the captain. Her lips crashed into the Noxian's, being sloppy due to Katarina's surprised, but she returned it after a moment's hesitation. The Sinister Blade brought her hand down to Sarah's rear, cupping it and bringing her closer despite the woman being trapped between the table. Their tongues danced, moans soon eliciting from both redheads.

Miss Fortune opened one eye, looking to her bed and seeing just how comfortable it looked. She halted Katarina with a finger, gesturing to the area and Katarina followed it, smiling as she nodded. Sarah closed the door to the cabin, locking it before meeting with her fellow redhead on the bed, both of them throwing aside their clothes.

…

* * *

Sweat dripped from Culda as she kept grunting, her clenched fists hitting the punching bag in her room. Ever since she'd become The Grand General of Noxus, the woman chose to distance herself from her magic, but she always kept her Luden's Echo in her uniform wherever she went. She had a belief that if you were going to be a strong leader, you'd have to have a strong body as well. Culda had generally been weak her life, and she was changing that, especially after hearing about James's survival.

A door opened to her room, the woman not stopping her hits against the bag. Her body glistened with sweat and she didn't look over to see one of her messengers standing by, watching her pummel the object.

"Lady Culda?" He asked.

The woman performed a few more hits before finally stopping. She panted from the workout, resting her hands on her knees before stretching with a groan. "Yes?"

"Um, your advisors have gathered and are waiting for your arrival."

"Good." Culda said bringing her fists up, resuming her workout.

She hadn't allowed him to continue talking and the boy said there was another thing to tell her. This made Culda stop, looking at him with a neutral expression.

"Um, that ship you sent out has returned to Noxus." He said. "The only occupants that were on it were Captain Minh and dozens of his soldiers. Sion… wasn't onboard. Minh said he wasn't sure if the targets were subdued."

Culda exhaled sharply at this, now glaring at the boy who soon shivered in fear. Culda was actually more frightening when she was silent instead of throwing something around in a fit of rage. She tilted her head, taking a large single step towards him, the boy wincing as she did.

"The targets… weren't subdued?" Culda asked.

"I um, I-I don't know Madam." He said as sweat started to form. "We don't have confirmation, but it's likely that Sion d-"

He stopped talking when Culda yelled and brought her leg up, performing a roundhouse kick against the punching bag with such force that it broke off the chain and was sent flying into a wall, creating a dent. Culda paced to it, her hands glowing with fiery magic as she unleashed her newfound rage, ripping the object apart with ease like it was paper. The boy winced, shuddering at the sounds. It finally came to a halt, the boy's eyes opening finally to see Culda panting heavily. She slowly turned to face him.

"Anything else?" She asked with venom evident.

"Umm… we've gotten reports of some Noxian soldiers… showing resentment towards you." He said.

Culda's brows rose at this. "What?"

"Some soldiers don't exactly… trust you I mean." The boy said. "They've grown suspicious of the sudden disappearance of the Du Couteau siblings. The same goes for some citizens."

The woman took a deep breath, closing her eyes in the process. The boy slowly backed away, fearing for his safety. Culda started to quickly pace towards him, pushing him out of the way as she didn't stop.

"I want Minh in my quarters before my meeting is over. Notify me when he's arrived." She said in a threatening tone.

"But Madam, he's in the hospital. He needs medical attention." The boy was given a glare that could freeze the depths of hell. He froze, looking down at the floor. "I'll… inform them right away."

He felt her glare fixated on him and he cowered in fear before hearing the departing footsteps of Culda who entered her quarters.

…

* * *

James paced around the ship, passing by several empty crew quarters, looking for Evelynn who likely needed him now more than ever. He searched for what seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes. The man came across a wall with some scratches on it, raising a brow and finally, he came across a larger room.

James had entered the lowest compartment of the ship. Water was leaking in while at the same time being emptied out. He heard a whimper, and James saw, in the corner, what appeared to be the silhouette of Evelynn. Truthfully, she was in her demon shade, her true form. James saw her visible, pink glowing horns with Evelynn's lashers circled around her body. She was in a fetal position, resting against the wall with her legs hugging her chest. James's eyes widened briefly at this, but he moved on instinct.

The man walked toward the vulnerable succubus who didn't move. He sat down next to her, taking off his helmet and setting it aside. Evelynn felt his presence, but she only lifted her head up slightly, looking ahead lifelessly. The woman's demon shade faded as she returned to her usual appearance, that eerie blue skin James had become very familiar with. She put a hand on his arm and he gently gave her more. Evelynn clutched it as she rested her head against his shoulder. He could hear her breaths; they sounded broken.

"It's like there's blood on me." She whimpered, her voice shaky. "But it's blood that I don't want… it's blood that leaves nothing… but pain and misery."

James couldn't offer any kind of reassurance. Elise's death may have taken its toll on him, but with Evelynn, she was truly broken. Her whole world was shattered. James took one of her hands, gripping it firmly with his. Evelynn didn't return the same feeling.

"Evelynn… look at me." He said, sounding a bit commanding.

She slowly looked up, meeting his eyes. James gently cupped her chin. "I know she's gone, and that nothing will bring her back." He said before sighing, trying to contain his emotions. "I know how difficult it is to lose someone close to you. Someone you never imagined you'd lose. Elise could've done anything, but she couldn't allow you to experience the same pain she felt a long time ago."

A tear slid down Evelynn's cheek, James brushing it aside gently. "What pain… is that?"

"The pain of losing a lover Evelynn. The feeling that you'll never, ever, be able to hear the voice, or touch, of the one who shared those feelings with you." He said sadly. "She lost her lover centuries ago, and I lost Jade, but I will not allow you to experience that pain, and neither could she. I know that words, no matter how kind they may be, can't tend to the feeling of a loss, especially a friend. But you can share those feelings with those who are experiencing the same loss, making your mind and body feel comfort in the reality that you're not alone."

James felt Evelynn's hand slightly grip, but she still had on that look of sorrow. The man weakly smiled at her, brushing her hair with his other hand.

"You'll find the strength in the love of your partner, a warm embrace that is always burning. Elise's final words to me were to be there for you, in the toughest of times. Whenever you're feeling damaged, or broken, there'd be a shoulder for you to cry, and rest on." James said.

Evelynn was silent, her mouth was agape however. A smile twitched onto her soon after, tears cascading down her face. James felt her lashers circle around him, cupping him for a tight embrace of love. Evelynn rested her head onto his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It seemed to be in synchronization with hers. Her eyes closed, and she weakly smiled when James wrapped his arms around her, cradling her. Evelynn still felt a little cold inside, but James's presence made her feel warm, and secure.

"You cold?" He asked.

The woman shakily nodded before speaking with a shivering tone. "Yeah."

James took Evelynn in his arms, her lashers moving back to allow more movement. The succubus buried her face into his chest as he carried her to a ship's cabin, gently placing Evelynn on the bed. The man took off his armor, being in worn out looking pants, his shirt having been ruined after Evelynn ripped it open when they made love. James joined Evelynn on the bed, spooning into her and sheltering her as his warm body contacted her. The succubus was shaken at first but embraced it. She didn't smile however.

Evelynn felt James's hand entwine with one of hers, the action managing to make her weakly smile.

"James?"

"What is it?" He asked gently, the tone making Evelynn's heart nearly melt.

"Don't leave me. Please." She asked.

His embrace tightened around her frantically. A tear escaped her eye at this action with her pain and sorrow leaving momentarily.

"I'd never dream of it." James said.

…

* * *

Maddoc groaned as Riven set him down on a bed in one of the cabins. The interior had been spared from the battle save for a few splinters of wood. When he was comfortable, Riven grabbed a part of the sheets and ripped it, creating a makeshift rag as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol. She soaked the sheets on it, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Maddoc looked at her.

"Let's see your shoulder."

The man sighed, sliding his shirt down slightly to reveal the wound Minh left. She'd tended to it earlier, but Riven was just double checking. Maddoc hissed at the feeling of the alcohol-soaked fabric on his wound, Riven gently dabbing it until she deemed it to be enough. She looked at the bandages on her arm, choosing to unwrap them with Maddoc raising a brow at this. The girl ignored this, bandaging up Maddoc's shoulder as best as she could, the man wincing at the motions.

"There we go, should keep it from getting infected."

"That's the second time I lost to that brute." Maddoc grumbled. Riven rolled her eyes at this.

"Does that really matter?" She asked, sounding annoyed with Maddoc narrowing his eyes at the tone.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

The Exile sighed, taking a deep breath. "No… it's just… I don't know why you have to always put yourself up front in situations that you're not quite skilled in."

Maddoc's eyes widened, giving her a surprised look. "What do you mean by that Riven?" He asked, a small amount of anger in his voice.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't play dumb Maddoc." She said with a scoff. "You're not the best in close quarters combat, and yet it seems like when Minh boarded the ship, you just threw yourself right at him!"

He felt a jolt of anger flow through his veins as he glared. "He was advancing on you from behind! He probably would've killed you if I didn't intervene!"

"And yet he almost killed you! He was toying with you during that whole fight! And only then when you wounded him did he demonstrate how easily he could kill you!" Riven exclaimed.

"Yet I'm alive!" Maddoc said, actually chuckling, seeing Riven's crimson eyes almost flare with anger.

"You'd have been dead if I didn't show up! And I had him in my grasp after besting him!"

"Then why did you choose to save me instead of killing him?! You could've ended him right there!" Maddoc said, almost shouting. "From what I'm hearing, it seems like leaving me and killing him would've made you much happier!"

He expected Riven to be glaring at him with anger, and while she was glaring, her eyes showed something different. They were glistening, and he could see pain, and hurt in them. Maddoc didn't know how to react to this sudden change, and he saw her hands gripping the bed tightly as she looked away.

"Riven?" He asked sitting up.

The Exile's breathing became heavier, the visible muscles on her back flexing as she started to shudder.

"Maddoc… you don't know what it was like… to witness the horror I did during that battle I was said to be killed in." She said bitterly.

Maddoc sighed, regretting every single word he'd said during this conversation (or argument). He didn't want to hear this as it would only make him feel worse, but it seemed like Riven had been holding this in for a while.

"I saw everyone around me die slow, agonizing deaths. Their skin dissolving as they choked on their own blood. It was a bitter engagement, corpses everywhere, both Ionian, and Noxian. My own unit ordered me to run on their final breaths, and I couldn't do anything to help them." Riven said, her voice breaking as she spoke.

He heard her sniffle, Riven's lips quivering.

"This battle reminded me of it... those images flashing in my head when I saw Minh pinning you against the wall. Just watching with horror… feeling there was nothing I could do to stop it." She continued. "I've lost a lot of close people Maddoc… I don't want to lose anymore. I can't… lose anymore."

She put her hands over her glistening eyes, sobbing quietly as Maddoc grimaced, slowly moving behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her figure. Riven slowly looked down, her tears dripping onto his arm as she held that position. One of his hands moved up to her chin, tilting it up and delicately turning her to face him.

"You're not going to lose me Riven." He said firmly. "Neither James, nor Katarina."

The Exile tilted her head, a sad, weak smile on her face as Maddoc's mouth twitched with mirth. Riven felt warm with him around her, and when she straightened out her head, the smile went away. She changed her hunched position, bringing one leg up onto the bed as Maddoc's eyes followed it.

Her breathing became bated before she cupped him, Maddoc's eyes widening with his hands acting on instinct, putting his hands around her midriff. They started to lean closer, hesitation evident in the movements, their mouths opening and eyes closing. Then, their lips met in harmony.

It didn't last long, both looking at each other with tense stares. This time Maddoc closed the distance, kissing Riven who returned it moments after. Their exchange became slightly more intense as their bodies started to become warmer. Riven pressed her weight onto Maddoc who laid flat on the bed, the girl on top of him as they kept kissing. Her hands went to his shoulders, grasping them.

Maddoc felt a sharp pain and he groaned, Riven immediately stopping as she sat up straight. The Exile saw Maddoc rubbing his shoulder, the girl giving him an apologetic look.

"Sorry I got carried away." She said.

"It's… it's alright." Maddoc said, his hand on the bandaged shoulder. Riven blushed at her position, biting her lip.

"I uh, I think you need some rest." She said.

As much as he wanted to continue, Maddoc felt too sore and he had to agree. The Exile yawned, stretching her muscles after getting off him. "I think we could both use some rest."

Riven chose to leave, but Maddoc grabbed her arm. She looked at him, showing no expression however. His hand felt warm, and the girl felt a shiver up her spine at his touch.

"I'm sorry I kissed you." He said, sighing a little. "I didn't know if it was good to follow up."

The Exile actually chuckled at this. "I'm not." She said referring to the first sentence. "If I didn't want it, then I'd have stopped you."

Maddoc raised a brow at this. Riven actually smiled at him. "Get some rest Maddoc. I'll see you when you wake up." She said before taking her leave from the room.

He sighed at this, but he was tired. Maddoc got comfortable on the bed, closing his eyes as he began to get some much-needed rest.

…

* * *

Culda had a feeling this meeting wouldn't go well for her, her thoughts dwelling on the thought of James and Elise managing to best her guards in combat. In addition to that, her advisors weren't very happy either, saying that she took an irresponsible action and that this should have been discussed. One advisor who went by the name Edgar Loomis was berating her more than the others.

**"SILENCE!"** She shouted, slamming her fist on the table with enough force to make it crack. The advisors abruptly fell silent, looking at the woman whose dark hair had become slightly tangled in her face. She looked at them, her emerald eyes flashing with anger. "There will be order in this meeting." She seethed.

"Order?!" Loomis exclaimed. "You sent a handful of your soldiers in the dead of night because of your own paranoia, and you have the audacity to tell us to listen to you?!"

Culda took a sharp breath, trying to suppress her anger. Her fingers started to dig into the table. "Perhaps I underestimated the tenacity of James Holland and Elise, but it won't matter. Not once I erase their existence from Noxus and turn them into a myth." Culda said.

"I don't think you understand, Culda." Loomis said bluntly. "You let your own paranoia consume you, and because of that, you lost your most powerful champion, Sion."

She glared daggers at the man who didn't back down.

"It seems like history is repeating itself. A ruler who makes irrational choices and lashes out at the slightest inconvenience." Loomis said with a hint of mockery. "Darkwill's successor it seems."

The next thing that happened was Loomis's chair being knocked down violently with him sprawling out, Culda leaping on top of him with her revolver drawn, pressing it roughly against his neck. The woman pinned him, her advisor's exclaiming at her action as Loomis's eyes widened.

"Don't you even think about comparing me to that old fool." Culda hissed. "I am no Darkwill, nor am I like Swain. I am Culda Graves, The Grand General of Noxus, and if you're not with me, then you're against me."

Loomis glared fiercely at her. "At this rate, more than half of Noxus will be against you."

The woman held him there for a silent 15 seconds before taking her pistol off his neck, shoving it into her uniform and getting off him. The advisor's remained silent, fearing that if they spoke up, or even moved, they'd be killed. Culda went back to her seat, sitting down and staring at Loomis as he got back up.

"He's right General." An advisor said. "Some Noxian soldiers are beginning to resent you along with some citizens, and it's only growing more each moment. The death of Darius may have caused a disturbance, but the sudden disappearance of the Du Couteau's has ignited a flame."

"So, it has." Culda mused, leaning back as she took in the situation. "It's amazing how blind fools can be in such scenarios."

"If we do not address this problem now, it may spiral out of control Madam."

"I'm aware of that." Culda said with venom. "We can't release Talon and Cassiopeia for obvious reasons. So, it seems like… the only way to stop the fire from spreading is to put it out as quickly as possible."

"And just how exactly can we do that?" Loomis asked finally speaking up again.

Culda actually smirked as she came to a realization. She grinned widely moments later. "Oh, it's quite simple, we eliminate all of those who are loyal to the Du Couteau's."

Everyone's eyes widened at this, Loomis's mouth gaping in horror. The woman laughed at this. "Calm down!" She exclaimed. "Hear me out you fools. Katarina Du Couteau left not too long after I claimed the title. She's basically trying to remove me from power, and seeing as a majority of Noxus supports me, I think it'd be quite easy to convince the people that she's betraying Noxus. If she's against me, then she's against everything Noxus stands for."

Some advisors started to take her words into consideration. Culda did have some valid points. Regardless, they were opposed to the concept of her removing the opposition.

"Oh please, like every leadership, including the lawful land of Demacia, doesn't do that." Culda snorted. "The only difference here is it seems to be on a larger scale. We'll still have a lot of support from the populace once I explain it."

"Then there's no need for destroying those who support the Du Couteaus?" Loomis asked.

Culda snorted again. "No Loomis, you obtuse, weak fool." She spat. "I see no reason to keep those who oppose me around, especially if I have a greater presence than they do. They must, and will, be eliminated in a timely manner. Don't you all agree?" She asked the other advisor's. They seemed to be unsure of the decision, but Culda moved her jacket, revealing her revolver as she did an imposing pose. They hesitantly nodded, Loomis looking at them with shock.

"Are you mad?!" He asked, standing up.

"Are you questioning my leadership choices, Loomis?" Culda asked, pacing to him, the man not backing down.

"I'm questioning your sanity!" He shot back. "You're going to turn the citizens of Noxus on one another?!"

She slapped him harshly. "I'm not doing that! I'm just cleaning up the remnants of Swain's legacy!" She spat. "If you can't stomach that, then maybe, just maybe, YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN THEM IN THEIR CLEANSING!" She shouted.

Before Loomis could shout back, the door to the room opened. Everyone turning to see the messenger from before standing there.

"Madam Culda? Minh has arrived. He's in your quarters." He said without stammering.

Culda took a deep breath, giving one last cold glare at Loomis before nodding to the boy and pacing towards him.

"Thank you." She said before turning to the advisors. "This meeting is over. I expect to see all of you tomorrow."

They nodded and Culda left the room with the boy. When they were far away from it, she grabbed his arm and gripped it tightly.

"I want a squad to follow Loomis around." She said. "He seems to be on edge. If he tries to leave Noxus, kill him."

The boy swallowed before speaking. "At once Madam."

Culda parted ways with him, quickly hurrying down the hall to her quarters. Upon reaching her bedroom, Culda found Minh much to her expectations. He was poorly bandaged, still having on his damaged armor, though the blood had dried up thankfully. Culda gave him an unfathomable look.

"Captain Minh." She said not hiding the tone of displeasure in her voice.

"General Culda Graves." He replied, giving a minor bow.

The woman could see he was in pain and she rolled her eyes. Culda grabbed a potion and carelessly tossed it at Minh who flinched when it hit him. The wounds on his body began to heal up quickly, making the man let out a sigh of relief. Culda cleared her throat, making Minh snap out of his bliss and looking back at her. She crossed her arms and he knew she wasn't pleased.

"L-Listen, I can explain-"

"Take that fucking helmet off right now." She snapped.

Minh took off his damaged helmet, setting it aside as Culda approached him. His hair was buzz cut and brown, shorter along the sides with a good amount of stubble along his square-like chin. Culda gave him a cold stare.

"Start talking." She growled.

…

* * *

James's eyes opened up, shifting around the interior of the cabin. He heard some gentle exhales next to him, seeing Evelynn's bare back in his view, her snow-white hair sprawled out over the pillows. He couldn't help but smile at the sleeping woman. He knew what she was, yet Evelynn could look completely innocent and adorable when she wanted to. James pried himself from her, Evelynn still sound asleep as James put back on his armor. The man went to the door, opening it before looking at Evelynn, her mouth in a neutral position. James leaned down to her temple, planting a quick kiss on it and upon getting back to his full height, James saw that her lips had curved upward slightly. Chuckling quietly at this, he took his leave from the cabin.

Walking up to the deck of the ship, James saw that the crew had swept up a majority of the evidence of the battle with Culda's guards. He noticed Riven leaning over the rails and he paced to her. The girl turned her head about halfway to see her friend standing by her.

"Hey." She said.

"Hi." He replied. "How's uh, how's Maddoc doing?"

"He's doing fine. His shoulder should be healed up in good time." Riven answered. "How's Evelynn?"

James sighed at this. He looked away momentarily. "She's recovering… but she's still having a hard time adjusting to the reality of Elise being dead."

An expected snort at the irony was thought to be heard from Riven given her and Evelynn's exchanges, but instead… her brows furrowed. "Is she really upset?"

This made James give her a bit of an unfathomable look. "Yes, she is…" He said with a hint of anger at Riven. "She may not be human, and she may do the most unethical things… but she still has feelings, Riven. She's... a being."

Riven looked at him with sadness. She may have been unintentionally rude there. James sighed. "We may all have different viewpoints, but sometimes, those who do seem evil may not want that entirely. Some may just want to be as human as you and me. That's something Elise told me… not too long before she died."

Having heard enough, Riven put her hand on James's shoulder, his visor looking at her crimson pupils. "I'm sorry James." She said sternly. "Perhaps it's the things she's done to you that blind me to actually seeing that underneath that alluring and deadly beauty, there's a vulnerable woman… or succubus. Whatever she is." She said gesturing her hands around freely. "I shouldn't be surprised if others feel that. I've been there."

James bit his lip. He and Riven continued to look out at the calm water. "We all have." He said before sighing again. James looked at Riven's wounded shoulder. "Riven? Do you still want to follow me?"

The Exile blinked as she tilted her head in question. "What do you mean?"

"I've lost Jade… and now Elise…" He said with sadness. "All because of my relations with Culda. Seems like everyone I know… eventually goes away." He continued before taking out the picture of him and Jade. James turned to Riven who had furrowed brows. "How long until it's your turn to go? How long until It's Maddoc? Katarina? Eve… Evelynn…"

James was suddenly slapped by Riven who was now glaring at him. The Exile's eyes were glistening, but they were angry tears.

**"I'm not gonna die James. Nobody else close to you is gonna die."**

Her tone sounded commanding, but it also held that hint of the person saying such words that they meant everything they were saying. It made James feel relief. He looked at Riven who calmed herself down.

"Gods I'm so lucky to have a friend like you." He said actually smiling.

Riven sighed heavily, but she also smiled. "Sorry about the slap."

"No worries. I needed it."

The two of them heard approaching footsteps and turned to see Miss Fortune walking towards them. Her outfit wasn't exactly on properly which left some of her alluring features to be revealed to both of them. Her expression seemed to show annoyance.

"There you are!" She said loudly.

James picked up a hint of anger in her voice, choosing not to back down from the woman who stopped closer than what most would consider normal to James. He felt her chest pressed against his, but he didn't falter. Riven looked at them both, a bit unsure if she should say something.

"What is it?" James asked, giving Miss Fortune a taste of her own medicine as he leaned closer.

Her azure eyes narrowed, her lips pursing as her angry look soon became a playful and sultry one. "You haven't been on my ship for even a full day and suddenly a Noxian ship under order of your crazy ex-girlfriend comes out of nowhere and attacks my ship with hextech guns and explosive charges, kills most of my crew, unleashes this huge undead looking guy, and finally, shoots off my hat." Sarah seethed.

James almost snorted at the last words, but Miss Fortune's eyes showed anger.

"This Culda Graves seems like she's full of herself. I'm not too unfamiliar with that feeling, but I'm not keen on having those who are too afraid to meet me in battle sit back as they take everything from people they think they can just walk over." Miss Fortune continued. "Your bitch of an ex needs to be taught some manners."

This time, James's eyes actually went a little wide, his unseen brows raising. He soon smiled. "What're you saying?"

Sarah scoffed at this. She took out of her pistols, looking away from James as she aimed it to her right. "I'm saying that this Culda Graves... I want a piece of her." She finished, turning to face James who crossed his arms, an amused expression under his helmet.

"Get in line." He said with a chuckle.

Miss Fortune grinned at him. James wasn't sure why he allowed her to gently take off his helmet, allowing his different colored eyes to be seen. She cooed at him.

"You've got dangerous eyes honey. I like that." She said with a sultry tone.

James cleared his throat, taking the piece from Sarah who giggled with a wink afterward, pacing away from the two with her hips swaying. James rolled his eyes with Riven actually quietly laughing at him. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's just that you have this kind of aura." She said chuckling. "You've come so far from being a reclusive loner to being a confident and strong man. It's what made me so attracted to you… and the other ladies as well."

"Didn't seem to be feeling that confidence a few minutes ago." James snorted.

"Just take the damn compliment." Riven said rolling her eyes.

James only sighed. "Ah, where would I be without you?"

"Probably dead in the cafeteria of the military academy from Katarina's blades." Riven retorted.

"If I recall, I think I had my pistol pressed against her temple. Kind of the opposite I think?" James said jokingly.

"Point taken."

…

* * *

Culda's silence always made Minh uncomfortable, but it was when she was silent after hearing bad news that he felt concerned for his life. Her eyes were wide open, giving him a glare that made him wish he'd have been killed in battle by Riven instead of coming back here. She took one long step to him, not blinking as she kept that gaze on him.

"How did you even become my captain?" She asked with venom, and anger, glaring daggers at him.

Minh knew that whatever he said wouldn't change her mind, but not saying anything would be worse. He swallowed his nervousness. "I trained long and hard, serving under Balgan Darkwill for many years. I was his best soldier."

"And yet it seems like all those years of him cowering in the dark took its effect on you." Culda said bluntly. "You couldn't take down Darius, and now, you were bested in combat by a girl who wears nothing but robes and a corset. Not to mention her blade was broken and you had on a full suit of armor!"

"It's not my fault your chemical bombardment on her unit didn't kill her! Or break her!" Minh finally spouted.

He felt Culda slap him harshly, Minh's head jerking to the side. "That does not matter! You failed me! You and your soldiers couldn't take down a ship of drunk pirates, not to mention you had the audacity to toy with Maddoc instead of just killing him! YOU WERE ARROGANT! AND NOW, YOU'RE SITTING HERE, DISGRACED, HUMILIATED, AND WEAK!" Culda shouted.

Culda's words were slowly getting to Minh, feeling a jolt of anger inside him as he stood defiantly, being taller than the woman before him. Culda didn't back down, she just gave his body a once over.

"Look at you. Nothing but a brute wearing advanced armor. I should have let Darius kill you before sending Sion in. Would've saved me a lot of time and problems."

Minh's eyes flared this time and his anger consumed his body. The next thing Culda felt was his strong hands on her shoulders, picking her up and throwing her onto the bed where her head banged into the bed's headboard. Culda grunted at this, recovering quickly and looking at Minh who paced around the side. She snickered at him this time.

"Too bad you didn't have the nerve to kill Riven as much as you have the nerve to unceremoniously throw your leader onto her own bed."

The man's eyes were burning with anger and he started to take off his damaged armor. "Do you want me to step down Culda? Do you want me to resign as your captain?" Minh asked angrily. "Because if that's what you want, I'll do it!"

"And go where?" Culda sneered. "Back to serving Balgan? The man you and your soldiers betrayed to serve me? The man who spent years hiding in the dark?! I bet you'd love to join him in his cell!"

"Do not. Think. You know me." Minh asked, each breath filled with anger.

"I know that you're a representation of the Noxus Swain ruled over! Weak! Pathetic! Cowardly!" Culda spat.

She smiled when seeing Minh's eyes widen, knowing she'd hit a nerve and he slammed her against the bed's headboard with enough force to give the wall a dent. Culda and Minh's faces were inches apart, their breathing heavy. She took notice of their position.

"That's more like it. A dominant and assertive move without hesitation." Culda said with a strained voice. She was loving this actually. "Now if only you could do that against those who want me to step down."

Minh growled at her before realizing the position. He had her trapped, and she was smiling widely at him. Looking at the way she was, Minh felt something spark inside of him. He slammed his lips into Culda's, the tongue making its way into her mouth to explore, but he felt resistance.

Culda had wanted this, and Minh felt her hands on his chest before she started to dig her nails into his skin. The man reeled back, Culda finally being released from his grasp. She smirked at this reaction. "Look at that. Captain of my guards, but a kiss and a little pinch from my nails and he's more sensitive than a fucking newborn."

His anger returned, meeting Culda in the middle of the bed, both of them fiercely kissing as their hands explored the other ones' body. Minh again felt Culda's nails on him, tearing through the clothing he wore under his armor and digging into the skin. The man retaliated by grabbing Culda's hair, pulling it back harshly with her groaning as her head was forced to follow. Minh planted kisses on her neck, but he soon bit down on her skin and drew some blood. Culda was surprised at this, but her moan showed that she was enjoying this.

"Just the type of move a coward would pull." She sneered. "Even James was better than you."

She was suddenly slammed down on the bed, Minh mounting her and his hands grabbing a large handful of her uniform. Before Culda could even register what happened, Minh ripped open her clothing, sending it flying aside as her c-cup breasts were exposed, concealed in a dark blue bra.

"You fucking bastard." Culda hissed. "You're lucky I have extra uniforms."

Minh offered no response, tearing off the bra with Culda's bust fully revealed, pink nipples atop her breasts. He greedily attacked them, massaging and kneading them, admiring the soft feeling as Culda writhed with pleasure. She moaned at Minh's motions, and let out an orgasmic sounding type of cries when he squeezed them roughly.

"You say I'm weak when you're the one moaning like a whore." Minh said with venom. "The fucking irony."

Culda offered no response, but Minh noticed that she was now smiling mischievously. He felt a hand on his groin with little pinches. Culda had taken a rough grab of his erect cock, her nails digging into it as Minh croaked.

"That's right, submit to me you wretch." She snarled.

Her grip got tighter, and Minh sighed, releasing his hold on her with Culda smiling at her victory. The smile abruptly went away as she looked at him with a fake-sounding gasp. Minh groaned when Culda's hand on his length swapped from wanting to rip it off to delicately pumping it. She raised a suggestive eyebrow, biting her lip with a smile when feeling a wet spot on the head.

"Such a dirty and submissive man you are Minh." She teased.

He growled at this but then got an idea. With Culda no longer holding him hostage, Minh quickly put his arm around her, yanking her to him with his other hand diving into her pants. Culda huffed loudly at this, reeling her head back with an annoyed look, Minh glaring at her. His hand quickly bypassed the panties, going between her thighs and feeling her entrance. Culda gasped and arched her back involuntarily at the action. Minh only chuckled

"Culda…" Minh whispered. "You're wet."

His voice made her snap out of her bliss, the woman shooting back up with her emerald eyes flaring. Culda shot back up, her face dangerously close to Minh's with her free hand gripping his scalp, digging into the skin. She felt more fluids come up from his length, and she snarled with a wicked grin.

"No more foreplay, you masochistic bastard."

She ferociously slammed her lips into his, Minh's tongue fighting back as his hand left her pants, cupping her face with both hands as they fought for dominance. Culda, however, still had her hand on his length and she dug her nails into it, Minh groaning loudly with her tripping him. They fell onto the bed with Culda on top. She quickly ripped off his pants, taking off her own after doing so.

Minh shot up which surprised her, their lips meeting again in a rough kiss. While Minh loved the taste of Culda, the taste of him actually drove her crazier, even made her feel lightheaded. The woman wrapped her arm around his back, not letting him pull away as they kept up the frantic exchange. The breaks between kisses were only a second or two, more than Minh could handle and he was soon out of breath as Culda kept up her ruthless assault.

"So… fucking… weak…" She said between kisses. "Can't… even… keep up… with a… woman… who has… less… stamina… than him."

He growled yet again, and Culda felt a rough smack against one of her cheeks. She groaned joyfully at this, her eyes rolling back with her nails curling around, drawing blood from Minh who hissed. Looking at him with angry and lusty eyes, Culda grabbed his erect member and guided it to her entrance, not breaking her stare from him.

"Mmph! Gods you're huge!"

Minh said nothing as he was groaning when Culda started to glide herself up and down on his cock. The head touched the highest point of her womanhood, feeling it's heat against her inner walls. Culda gripped Minh's head tightly, using it as makeshift leverage with more bruises forming. Minh responded appropriately, gripping her waist equally as tight, helping her lower herself onto him with each motion.

"That's right. Fuck your superior, like the submissive man you are!" Culda snarled.

Minh wanted to swap the positions, Culda on the bottom with him on top, but he couldn't. His mind had been clouded with desire and his pride shattered as he let the gorgeous, yet deadly woman ride her like a stallion. Culda didn't ride him gently either.

She rode him vehemently with a mix of roughness. He could feel his member getting sore from the actions she was doing. The feeling of it against her warm walls was good, but it'd started to become engorged with blood as well from the quick motions. Culda threw her head back laughing, her chest bouncing as she hammered Minh. The man mustered what he could, and gripped Culda's body so hard he left a bruise, his other hand seizing her scalp and pulling her in for a frantic kiss. She almost lost her breath at this, but Culda matched and bettered Minh's motions moments later.

Culda bit down on Minh's tongue, and she actually took off a minor amount of skin. She spat some blood as she gained total control over the larger man. She kissed him hard enough to leave hickeys, bit down hard enough to leave bite marks, and trailed her nails along his skin that left red streaks.

The two of them soon reached their climaxes, and Culda gripped Minh's head tightly, staring into his eyes with hunger.

"Cum inside of me you fucking brute, and then maybe, I'll reconsider my words from earlier." She said breathlessly, licking his face savagely afterward.

There was something that always made Minh feel a jolt of anger flow through him when he was called a brute, and Culda intended for that to happen. She grinned wickedly at him with wide eyes as he lifted her up, before plunging her down fully onto his sore length and that did it.

Culda's eyes rolled back, her tongue hanging out as she and Minh released their juices down below, the man groaning loudly as he finally filled up his general. He felt himself get forced to look upward, into the still grinning face of Culda, her hands cupping his cheeks.

The room was eventually left with heavy panting from both people, Culda still on top of Minh who remained laying down. She brushed aside a strand of hair that blocked her other eye, leaning down to her lover and planting a rather passionate kiss on him. Minh could pick up the difference between a frantic kiss and a sincere one. When she pulled away, Culda finally got off of Minh, proceeding to grab a robe and covering her nude body with it, flipping her hair out of the collar.

"Hmm, you're quite good Minh." She purred. "Perhaps a promotion is in order?"

Minh only scoffed at this. His body felt sore with the bruises and bites Culda left on it. However, he figured that he should probably avoid pissing her off and asked what she meant. The woman laughed joyfully.

"Oh, my dear Minh, did you ever truly believe I'd ever replace you? You're the only man I trust the most in my personal guard. Even though the numbers have increased, they're mainly just mindless grunts who follow orders. I just had to make sure you wouldn't turn on me in the first place."

"So, the whole point of… that was for you to see if you could trust me?" Minh asked with a raised brow.

Culda gave a careless shrug. "Not entirely, I've been wanting to do that with you ever since you ripped off Elise's legs, but I could wait."

He grumbled at this. Culda gave him a suggestive smile and beckoned him to come. The man hesitantly agreed, putting on some pants first before joining Culda who was standing at her closet. She opened the door, revealing something to Minh that made him blink in confusion. There was a suit of armor that was onyx colored with a semi-conical chest plate, a helmet with a skull-like appearance, a large eye-piece on the right, and two smaller eye-pieces mounted vertically on the left that glowed red. Minh looked at Culda who was smiling proudly.

"This is your new armor, my dear Minh." She said. "It's a vast improvement over your previous one."

"When, and why, did you make this?"

"Ever since I learned that James was alive, I had a feeling that I'd need to make a newer and more improved set of armor exclusively for you. I can't have my loyal guard, and lover, risk being killed, now can I?" Culda said. "Besides, with the way Riven trashed your armor, I think you'll need it."

He rolled his eyes again. He felt Culda grab his arm and her other hand on his scalp. She pulled him to her eye level with little effort. She was scowling at him.

"Listen to me." She seethed. "These are desperate times. James and Elise may still be alive, and some soldiers and citizens in this city are starting to grow suspicious of me. I want you, and the best soldiers you have, to hunt down those who are against me, who still cling to the ways of Swain, or even Marcus Du Couteau, and kill them."

Minh's mouth gaped. Culda gave him a threatening look, and he felt a burn on his skin as her hands started to glow with minor flame.

"Can. I. Trust. You. Minh?" She asked with venom.

He took a deep breath, staring at her firmly. "Yes Culda, it shall be done."

"Splendid." She purred. Culda soon looked down at Minh's crotch, looking at him mischievously before licking her lips. Her naughty hand snaked towards Minh's crotch, and he grabbed it while giving her a glare. Culda only snickered at him.

"It was nice, but I'll be needing rest for tomorrow." He said with a sigh.

Culda pouted at him before kneeing his crotch. Minh yelped, and she tripped him again. When he finally regained his composure, he saw himself staring at the barrel of her hextech revolver. He wasn't faltered.

"Nice bluff. You said yourself that you need me." He spouted.

She tilted her head, grinning sinisterly with wide eyes before aiming the gun dangerously close to his crotch. Minh's confidence disappeared when seeing this. He gave one last look at Culda who had taken off her robe, being fully nude again.

**"Spread them. NOW."** She seethed.

…

* * *

Loomis took one last look at his home, a bag that contained all the essentials he needed in his hand, his hand moving to pull the scarf up that covered his thin mustache. He was donned in a trench coat, a large top hat atop him with his eyes only being visible.

When first siding with Culda in her rise to power, Loomis saw something within the young woman and her devotion to the image of Noxus, but he also held respect for the Du Couteau's, and while he hesitantly stood by her side when she ordered Talon and Cassiopeia to be apprehended, the man's loyalty to her was hanging by a thread.

And her choosing to have those who supported the Du Coteau's that was out of mostly paranoia led him to believe that she'd lost her mind. Loomis made the decision to leave Noxus, refusing to serve under her. He'd arranged a carriage to meet and paid the driver a hefty sum of gold. He slumped down in the seat, taking a few deep breathes as he closed his eyes, trying to maintain the illusion that he'd get out of Noxus unharmed.

That changed when he heard the horses whine, and the driver yelled to calm them down. The carriage started to get pulled into an awkward motion, and then some loud crashes occurred. The next thing Loomis felt was the carriage being violently rolled as wood splintered everywhere, the man grunting as he was thrown around like a ragdoll. The harsh movements came to a stop, the man lying in the upside-down carriage with a bruised head. He tried to sit up, strained with a groan as he gritted his teeth.

"Get that snake out of there." A voice said.

Loomis felt himself get grabbed and dragged out of the carriage along shards of glass. He groaned as the assailants kept dragging him out, finally coming to a stop. Before the man could register what happened, he felt himself get lifted up into a pair of glowing red eyes of a female guard's helmet. Two more guards stood by, their arms crossed as they watched their comrade take control.

"Culda was right to keep an eye on you." The female guard snarled. "Nothing but a traitor, and a deserter. Trying to escape Noxus unnoticed?"

Loomis glared fiercely at the woman, spitting at her with blood spattering on one eye socket. He heard her let out an annoyed sigh before she headbutted him. The guard them cracked her knuckles and grabbed Loomis's collar. "I'm gonna enjoy this."

The woman started to send heavy blows into the man's face, the point of impact sounding grotesque. Loomis didn't let out any cries, not that he could anyway. Blood splattered with each fist, Loomis's face becoming bloodier with each one. The guard proceeded to lift him up, reeling her fist back far enough as she prepared to crush his skull.

As Loomis prepared for the fatal blow, he heard the female guard let out a blood-curdling scream. He opened one eye, seeing that the arm she was going to finish him with had been severed. Blood flew from the woman as her comrades tensed up. They were suddenly blasted by magic, sending them crashing into the closest walls and out of Loomis's eyesight. The wounded man weekly titled his head towards the left, his hindsight seeing a silhouetted figure driving something into the dazed guards. He saw the guard who was going to beat him to death go into shock and flop down on the ground. The last thing he heard before passing out was overlapping voices from unknown figures, a mixture of them arguing to kill him with the others saying the opposite.

…

* * *

Culda had finally let Minh get some rest, the man's body having dozens of bruises and dried up wounds of blood. She poured herself some wine, choosing to stride around her bedroom in her own comfort. The woman took a hearty sip from the glass, practically dancing around her room while skipping.

This was interrupted when a knock came at the door, Culda's blissful smile disappearing as she groaned in annoyance. She poured herself a fresh glass before walking to the door, still naked, the alcohol infecting her mind and making her careless. She opened the door with an unamused look, seeing her messenger standing there. He blinked and tried to look away from the woman's nude body. Culda rolled her eyes.

"You knocked on my door and now you're not going to talk?" She snapped with evident malice.

The messenger gulped, looking fully at Culda with a firm devotion not to look down. "Madam Culda… Loomis tried to flee Noxus, and the guards that you assigned to keep an eye on him have been killed. We don't know his whereabouts."

Culda titled her head, narrowing her eyes and being silent again. The boy winced, and he heard a minor crack. The woman was clenching her wine glass tight, and moments later, it shattered. Culda remained unfazed as wine splashed on parts of her body, the boy whimpering vocally. She had a few shards in her hand that began to bleed, and she used that same hand to grip the boy's throat. She lightly penetrated the skin with the shards.

"Find. Him. **Now.**"

…

* * *

Loomis groaned as he regained consciousness, his face feeling pained from the pummels the guard gave him. He then realized that he couldn't move, and that he was bounded in a chair… by golden chains.

"What in the hell…? Where… am I?"

"Good… you're awake." A feminine voice said.

The man looked up, seeing a woman with amber eyes looking at him, a rose symbol on her drape. He also noticed two other present figures. Loomis recognized them with an agape mouth. He struggled against the chains with the woman snorting.

"Don't struggle dear, it's hopeless to escape." Leblanc said.

"I don't want anything to do with you or Culda! Just let me go!" Loomis snapped.

"Now why should we do that?" Vladimir asked. "It seems like letting an advisor of Culda go, well not really an advisor anymore I suppose, would be quite foolish and naive."

Leblanc snickered in agreement while Swain just rolled his eyes. He stood up from his seat, his demonic hand coming out from his coat. Loomis struggled more against his bounds, glaring fiercely as Swain approached him.

"With respect, we can't just let you go Mr... Loomis?" He asked. Loomis only exhaled sharply, spitting at Swain who blinked when it hit him, gently wiping it aside with a sigh. "If you're fleeing from Noxus and Culda's guards almost kill you, I think it's pretty fair to know why you're running."

Loomis didn't even bother looking at Swain, looking away with the former general's demonic hand cupping his chin and making him meet his gaze again.

"I've seen a lot of things in my life Loomis. I've seen powers that no one else can see, and I've seen a storm that came to Noxus." Swain began. "Now that the storm has come, I see something I did not expect. I see the fear in you Loomis. The horror that you feel with Culda being in control. I see a man... who wants to run."

Loomis actually took a long sigh, giving Swain an unfathomable look. He leaned closer to the man, his eyes now tense.

"You don't know Culda... not like I do. Not from what I've seen." He said almost growling. "She's paranoid... and she's mentally unstable. She will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She apprehended Talon and Cassiopeia from their own manor. She's going to have those who oppose her be slaughtered. Soldiers, civilians... children, it doesn't matter to her. She'll risk starting a goddamn civil war if it means she stays in power." He said grimly. "I don't want any part of that. I'm getting out of this place before it becomes more unstable than Culda herself! And you should too... whatever's left of your cult." He finished, speaking to Leblanc and Vladimir who ignored it.

Swain only chuckled, choosing to move away from Loomis and giving a nod to Leblanc who smiled. The Deceiver leisurely paced to the man, crouching in front of him with a sultry look. She gently touched his sensitive cheek.

"Well dear, I will make you an offer." Leblanc said. "You tell us everything you know about Culda's plans… and then we'll let you go free. Unless of course, you just planned that whole scene with the guards in hopes of infiltrating The Black Rose and having your brilliant leader find our location."

The man glared fiercely at the woman and she heard a grunt from Swain, the man giving her a look that specifically told her not to get on his bad side. She pouted before turning back to Loomis. "That seems like a perfectly reasonable deal. Yes? No?"

Loomis sighed, giving her a look of hesitant agreement. Leblanc grinned at him and sat back in her seat, Swain and Vladimir leaning to listen. Loomis bit his lip before speaking.

At first, him spilling the information about Culda's plans seemed to be stuff they already knew of, but it was when he mentioned that her reason for apprehending Talon and Cassiopeia was because she learned that Katarina had left Noxus, their eyes widened, even Leblanc's.

"And she knows that she's bringing back the one who took down The Sovereign?" Swain asked, actually concerned.

"That's correct. In fact, she sent a ship with her personal guard out to sea to deal with them last night. It returned earlier, only a handful of her soldiers still alive. Sion didn't return either."

"Wait, she sent Sion?!" Swain exclaimed, his mouth slightly gaping with fear. Loomis was taken aback by this, but he nodded.

"She sent him with exclusive orders to kill Elise, The Spider Queen, and the Noxian you all know as James Holland." Loomis said. "I don't know if they're alive."

For the first time ever, Leblanc's brows actually furrowed, and she seemed to show actual human emotions. She stood up from her chair, pacing quickly to Loomis who raised a brow at her actions. She was joined by Swain moments later, both of them looking at Loomis tensely.

"You're telling me that James Holland is alive?" Swain asked suspiciously. He was beginning to actually think that Loomis was lying. Leblanc was speechless. The man only nodded slowly, Swain feeling confused and almost hazed by this new discovery. Leblanc cupped Loomis's face roughly.

"Elise is with him?" She asked.

"Y-Yes!" Loomis said, feeling uncomfortable with their attitude changes. "I don't know if they're alive, but Culda was very specific on having them both killed!"

The Deceiver's worried look soon went away as a sudden realization came to her. She started to chuckle, the woman soon bursting into hysterical laughter. Swain and Vladimir looked at her with concern before she finally calmed herself down.

"Oh, my dear Jericho!" She practically squealed. "Do you have any idea what this means? With James being alive, we'll have a significant edge over Culda! I do not know what happened on that mission, but I can assume that she did betray him, if not significantly wound him! With him at our side, we will finally bring down that tyrant from her throne!"

Swain raised a brow at her, remembering the part about Loomis not being sure if Elise, or James were alive. He reminded her of this, but Leblanc brushed it off.

"It does not matter Jericho. If James Holland can bring down The Dark Sovereign, then I'm certain he can handle Sion. And if Elise is with him, then they are more than likely alive."

Swain sighed at this, but he gave Leblanc a conceded look. Loomis cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. The Deceiver only scoffed at this. She released the chains that bounded him and had a few members of The Black Rose enter the room. She informed them of his demands before taking leave with Swain and Vladimir. She paced down the hallway with them, looking at her staff as the top started to glow a little. She grinned at this.

"Now… we turn the tide."


	22. Peril

The messenger remained silent as he looked at Culda who had her hands on her hips. The woman had chosen to ditch the blue hair, going back to her raven colored hair with a few bangs over her left eye. She'd just heard of the failed search for Loomis, and that The Black Rose likely took him in. The messenger expected her to explode into rage.

Unsurprisingly, Culda soon clenched her fists, and began to dig her sharp nails into the palm. The messenger noticed this and started to back away. Blood leaked from the wounds as Culda's fists started to glow crimson red. She felt her abilities amplify and increase in power.

**"NO…"** She said breathing heavily.

The messenger left the bedroom just as Culda unleashed her power. Sounds of destruction were heard from the bedroom with the woman's yell. Some debris flew out of the room, the messenger looking at it with horror. When it finally came to a stop, he heard approaching footsteps and seeing the woman angrily pace out of the room, her bloody hands healed from a potion she kept on her uniform that was a little dusty and tattered. She grabbed the boy, pressing him against the wall as he whimpered pitifully.

"Forget about Loomis then. I want Minh and his soldiers to abandon the search. If The Black Rose has him, then they're going make him tell everything, even about me leaving James for dead on the battlefield." Culda seethed. "Bring Cassiopeia to me, and then bring Talon shortly after."

The messenger regained his courage. "At once."

…

* * *

Swain looked at Leblanc with uncertainty. With Loomis's information, she quickly deciphered where James and Elise probably were. While it was risky, she'd sent out half a dozen members of The Black Rose, spreading the newfound information of Culda apprehending the Du Couteau's and also betraying James Holland on the battlefield. She couldn't count on the words to be taken literally to the heart, but in times such as these, anyone would believe anything that supported their case.

This would preferably prove to be a nuisance for Culda and buy Leblanc some time. This was the reason for Swain's concern. Vladimir was unfazed.

"You're certain that you want to do this Evaine?" Swain asked.

"Absolutely my dear Jericho!" She exclaimed. "Believe me, this vessel will sail out of Noxus unnoticed. I just see that it's better for me to handle it as this is a very important assignment."

The former general sighed, nodding only once at the woman who briefly furrowed her brows. She closed the distance from him, giving a gentle kiss. Immediately, the man responded in kind to the kiss, bringing his arm around her back and pulling her closer.

They broke it, Swain nodding again at Leblanc who smiled and paced away. A few members of The Black Rose joined her, armed with staffs as a precaution. They came across a unique looking boat, being mostly raven colored with a mix of indigo. They boarded the ship.

…

* * *

James hadn't moved from the deck, staring out at the sea. The night sky had come with a few clouds, briefly blocking out the pale moonlight. His talk with Riven did release a bit of sadness off him from Elise's death, but the words he also said about those being close to him eventually going away burned into his mind. Seems like there was death everywhere he went. James wished that he could've just killed Culda in that hallway after what she said about Jade.

Some laughter was heard on the deck, James turning to see presumably most of the crew enjoying some rum, a drunk Miss Fortune having her arm wrapped around a tipsy Katarina. He noticed Riven just leaning against a wall, arms crossed with a little beverage in her hand. He figured they were having a late celebration of their victory over Culda's guards.

James figured it was a good way to cope and he'd likely have engaged in a drinking game with Katarina and Riven. He remembered the number of times they'd done that in the Crimson Elite. At first it was always James who passed out, being a lightweight, but after some "coaching" from Katarina, James turned the tables, eventually coming out on top of both women.

Maddoc emerged from the stairs, walking onto the deck. James exchanged nods with him as the young soldier went over to Riven who smirked when seeing him. James couldn't make out the words they were saying, but they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. He took notice of Riven taking Maddoc's arm, caressing it as he smiled at her. Seems like they had a thing going on, and James was happy for them

Then another figure came up, one whose shape James instantly recognized, but he was taken off guard again when she was back in that appearance he secretly preferred. She also seemed to be… covered in more places. She snickered at the disappointed drunks who were hoping to see her cleavage. James approached her, gently asking if she needed comfort.

"Alright James…" Evelynn said with a minor amount of irritation. "You can quit trying to coddle me."

James was a little surprised by this, but he did as he was told.

"She's dead." The woman said with a little bitterness. "But she saved you… she saved us. So we'll make sure that she… didn't die for nothing."

She felt James take her hand, Evelynn looking down at it. She grasped it tighter, looking at James who'd taken off his mouth plate. Evelynn chose to press herself against James, their hands against his chest.

"Don't worry Evelynn." James said calmly. "I will make sure, no, WE, will make sure that her death wasn't in vain." He said before taking a deep breath. "If anyone's going to kill Culda, it'll be me, but you're welcome to make sure her last moments alive are a living hell." He said in a dark tone.

His voice and words sparked something inside of Evelynn that made the pain leave momentarily, a wide fanged grin coming onto her features. She loved this side of James.

"Ooh… how your darker side makes me tingle." She purred.

She suddenly slammed her lips into his, Evelynn's sweet taste flooding through James's body. He stood no chance after that, one hand moving down to her thigh and lifting it up to his waist, Evelynn instinctively circling her leg around his lower body for support. The kissing started to get more frantic and Evelynn uttered a pitiful whine when James started to nibble on her exposed neck.

"ALRIGHT YOU TWO LOVEBIRDS THAT'S ENOUGH!" A loud, feminine voice shouted.

The couple stopped kissing, seeing that everyone was staring at them, Miss Fortune having her arms crossed with an unreadable expression. Riven and Maddoc looked away when Evelynn's glowing blue eyes fell on them. Sarah paced towards the two.

"Now that everyone who isn't part of my crew is up here, I want all of you in my cabin now." She barked before stomping her foot on the deck. "RIGHT NOW!"

James and Evelynn raised their brows, James remaining unseen, but their mouths seemed to be showing annoyance. Sarah paced away and came up beside Katarina who was making her way into the cabin. The Bounty Hunter roughly grabbed the backside of her fellow redhead, Katarina letting out a grunt, but allowing Miss Fortune to keep it there. Riven and Maddoc exchanged looks with James and Evelynn before they followed.

When they walked in, they could see Sarah grabbing a full bottle of rum, taking a hearty gulp of it before stumbling around afterward. James sighed at this, crossing his arms as Evelynn leaned against a pillar. She wasn't interested in talking to a drunk pirate captain.

"Did you want us in here to observe true alcoholism?" James asked with annoyance.

One of Miss Fortune's eyes opened up, peeking at James as she kept gulping down the bottle. She finally stopped, taking a few breaths. "No James honey, I called you all in here because I just realized something." She said with a bit of sarcasm on the last couple words. "If Culda can send a fucking ship with her guards on it, that tells me that she's already gained a lot of power and is obviously now in charge of Noxus. Not to mention she's manufactured hextech guns, and those are certainly deadlier than the bows and spears I expected Noxians to use."

James realized what she was getting at.

"It seems like this bitch is quite popular in Noxus, and if the number of soldiers on that boat was just a small part of her troops, then we're gonna have one hell of a hard time getting to her." Miss Fortune continued. "And given the state of this ship, it's not gonna do us any good in another battle like that."

"She doesn't exactly have full control entirely, Sarah." Katarina said, making the redhead tilt her head in question and interest. The Sinister Blade bit her lip. "Assuming that Culda has um apprehended Talon and Cassiopeia, it's likely going to raise some suspicions, and maybe even unrest. There are many soldiers and citizens that support us."

"How could that even cause unrest?" Miss Fortune asked, almost snorting.

"Because Culda has a short temper, and almost loses it when there's a minor inconvenience." James cut in. "If what Katarina said is true, then she's going to be occupied in handling the situation, hopefully anyway. And she won't handle that well. It'll create a distraction most likely."

"Strange how they'd never question the same thing when under Swain's rule." Sarah muttered.

"That's because Swain never abducted us." Katarina retorted

"Touché."

"I suppose I didn't think that far ahead." James said with a sigh. "It's likely that Culda has a firm grip on what comes in and leaves Noxus. This ship will unlikely be able to sneak past. No offense." He said speaking to Miss Fortune who did a half-assed agreement.

"How in the fuck are we going to even get close to Noxus?" Maddoc asked. "Not to mention we have like two dozen people on this ship. That's not going to be enough with the personal army the bitch probably has at her back."

"Noxians are determined Maddoc." Riven said. "I know that I am, or was at least. If Noxian's put their mind to something, they can rarely be beaten. If the soldiers and citizens that support the Du Couteau's are as loyal as they say, then they'll put up a hell of a fight for Culda."

"Yeah… with swords and spears against hextech guns." Maddoc snorted.

"That may not be entirely true." Evelynn said, finally speaking up. This wasn't her usual scene, discussing plans to go up against a tyrant ruler such as Culda, but given the past events, she was as thirsty for getting a piece of Culda. "I can sense the fear in some people… and some of those guards on that ship were clearly following Culda's rule purely under fear."

Evelynn's words caught Miss Fortune's attention, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the succubus. The Agony's Embrace raised a thin brow at this before also narrowing her eyes.

"I saw what you and your friend were doing to the guards on that ship." Sarah said, showing no concern for bringing up Elise. Evelynn felt herself tense up lightly at the mention. "I've seen stuff like that before. Inhuman, brutal killings. Reminds me of the horrors I witnessed during The Harrowing."

Evelynn blinked as she leaned closer, her eyes narrowing even more. "So, what? Is there a problem, love?" She asked with slight distortion on the last word.

Miss Fortune snorted. "Certainly not honey. The fear you instilled into those may have been enough to have them reconsider their allegiance to Culda." Sarah said before examining her nails. "I saw that fear in the most ruthless pirates in Bilgewater when The Harrowing came. It wasn't pretty, but it had those who would rather slit their throats than work alongside others muster the courage to cooperate and take down an even bigger threat." She continued. "Maybe that same fear will be enough to make some of her guards question her choices, and even turn them against her. It would probably make our job easier."

Sarah's words were a little confusing, but they somewhat made sense. Then again, it was unlikely that less than one-fifth of her guards would go against her, but it would give a slight edge.

"Seems like you're basing that off a hunch." Evelynn snorted.

"If Noxian's are as stubborn as they say, and trust me, I happen to know." Miss Fortune said winking at Katarina who scoffed. "Then perhaps we'll have more than bows and arrows."

"Couldn't you just get more pirates on this ship?" Maddoc asked.

"Oh, wow honey, that's a great idea!" Miss Fortune said in a sarcastic tone. "Yes, I'm sure dozens of pirates would love to join me on my heavily damaged ship with a majority of my crew dead and say _"Hey we're going to go take over Noxus from a tyrant who probably has hundreds of guards as her army! Step to!"_. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Alright, alright, you don't have to be a bitch about it." Maddoc said with exasperation.

Miss Fortune would've continued on, but she was also a bit tired, yawning moments after.

"Alright, all this talking has made me tired." Sarah said standing up. "We'll discuss this further in the morning. Given this ship's speed, we're likely not going to make it to Noxus for a day or two. Could take even longer if we're attacked again."

James tensed up at this. He stood up, taking Miss Fortune's arm with the woman also tensing up. Katarina stopped her from grabbing one of her pistols instinctively.

"And what happens if we are?" He asked anxiously.

Sarah only chuckled, entirely unconcerned with the question. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, honey. Now I want everybody out of my cabin, except Katarina, or else they're gonna be sleeping with the fishes."

Choosing not to argue, everyone, including Katarina to Sarah's dismay, left the cabin. James took a deep breath, seeing Evelynn staring out at the sea, the moonlight bathing her in a sight that James was mesmerized by.

"You know…" A familiar voice said beside James. He felt an elbow rest on his shoulder and James rolled his eyes as Katarina leaned her head onto her hand. "I never would've taken you for a man who was into a woman like her."

"What do you mean?" James snorted.

"I always assumed you didn't like a woman who was dominant in the bed." Katarina continued. "I mean, after all, you never once seemed to try a move on me."

"Oh please." James retorted, rolling his eyes. "You're not my type Katarina."

"And a succubus like her is?"

James glared at the redhead whose eyes widened and she quickly apologized. "Sorry… what I meant is, um, a woman who can hold her liquor more than you isn't your type?"

The man picked up the small challenging demeanor in the redhead's voice and James chuckled. He shrugged and turned back to look at Evelynn who remained in the same spot. Two more people joined them.

"How's she feeling now?" Riven asked, taking a sip of her whiskey.

"Hopefully a bit better." James replied. "Can't imagine how bad it must feel though. Elise was her only friend for centuries, and to lose something like that must feel like the end of the world."

"Damn…" Maddoc said, evidently shocked. Katarina let out a low whistle of surprise while Riven grimaced at this.

James grumbled at this, choosing to leave his friends and comforting his love, even though she said he could quit doing that. James stood beside Evelynn, the woman shifting her head at his presence, but leaving James unable to see even a glimpse of her face.

"How're you feeling now?" He asked. "Everything alright?"

Evelynn sighed at this, propping her elbows up and resting her chin along her palms. "I don't know James. I just don't know."

The man grabbed one of her claws, gripping it tightly. Evelynn still didn't look up. "Evelynn, no matter what happens, I'll always be with you. I'll be by your side, always."

"What if I kill you?" She asked without hesitation.

James was baffled by this, but only for a moment. He took his hand off hers and firmly grabbed her by the shoulders, turning Evelynn to make him face her.

"You know that wouldn't happen." He said in a serious tone. "You said yourself that you loved me, and I love you."

"I'm a predator James." Evelynn replied. "Don't you think I could lie as easily as I can kill?"

"No. No, I don't." He stated. "I can see it in your eyes Evelynn. I remember when I first saw them when you had me bounded on the bed. Those were predatory eyes, showing hunger for pain and torture. The eyes I've come to know aren't those same ones. They're the more gentle, softer Evelynn."

Evelynn's breathing was heavy, and her mouth twitched with a smile. James saw this.

"But right now, I only see the vulnerable Evelynn, and I'm not so sure I like that one." He said playfully.

The succubus immediately blushed and gave him a playful slap on the chest. "Shut up and kiss me you fool." She laughed.

They soon shared an intimate kiss that lasted for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally parted, James looked into her eyes and saw the look he'd come to love. "There it is… the gentle Evelynn that I fell for." James whispered, Evelynn's legs quivering from his soothing voice.

Meanwhile, Riven, Maddoc, and Katarina just watched with Riven smiling with happiness (and some envy) while Maddoc crossed his arms with a smirk. Katarina rolled her eyes with a groan.

"Aw, how touching." Katarina announced. "I'm gonna go drink and throw up!"

…

* * *

Talon grunted and struggled against the guards that were dragging him through the halls of Culda's manor. The guards held him down low, so his knees were dragged along the carpet, giving a burning pain to the assassin who gritted his teeth. They finally reached Culda's room, opening the door and unceremoniously throwing the man in before entering it. Talon glared up at their glowing helmets, his body glistening with sweat and his hair tangled.

"Ah Talon, you're just in time!" A feminine voice said.

The assassin growled, and he turned to see Culda looking at him with a smug look. She had a hand on her tilted hip, her emerald eyes that were surrounded by dark makeup looking into his. She examined her fingernails as she spoke. "Obviously you may wonder why I've chosen to have my guards bring you to my room."

He snarled at this. "Where. Is. Cassiopeia?"

Culda pointed ahead of her with Talon following it. What he saw didn't make him show any emotion. Talon was too horrified to make such an exclamation.

Cassiopeia was chained to the wall, and Talon noticed the visible wounds on her body. They were deep cuts, and there was about 10 of them along her torso. Talon could see a steady amount of crimson flowing out of them, but not enough to make her bleed out. Her arms were not spared either, having most of the skin ripped off and exposing the muscle below. If one looked closer, that could see a hint of the white bone. It was hard to tell with the blood.

"Cassiopeia?" Talon asked, trembling as he took in the sight.

He heard Culda laugh behind him and he slowly approached his sister which Culda allowed.

"Cassiopeia? It's me. It's your brother." Talon said softly. "I'm here…"

"She doesn't recognize you Talon." Culda said. "She doesn't even know who she is."

Talon finally reached Cassiopeia who had her head tilted down. He gently cupped it, lifting her up to meet his gaze. He gasped at what he saw, and for the first time in years, a tear slid down Talon's cheek.

Cassiopeia was broken. Her mouth gaping absent mindedly as her eyes wandering around aimlessly. The woman couldn't even speak. Talon's breathing became uneven and broken.

"No, no, no, no!" He exclaimed. "Cass! It's me! It's Talon! Your brother!"

"I used a crescent to cut under her left tear duct Talon." Culda said approaching. "It scraped against the brain until it finally took away the nerves she needs to be a functioning person. Now, she's just a mindless animal. Could be my slave if I wanted."

Talon was too focused on Cassiopeia to hear Culda. He noticed the hideous scar under her left eyes.

"She screamed in agony Talon." Culda mused. "It's a pity your sister didn't take you and Cassiopeia with you. Such an innocent life like Cassiopeia doesn't' deserve to be involved in this. Then again, I suppose that's the burden of having a family."

The assassin's glistening eyes soon glared, but he didn't turn to Culda. She noticed his anger and she smiled mischievously. Culda leaned over his shoulder.

"Oh Talon, even with a father like Marcus Du Couteau, you are still completely oblivious to what it takes to have true power like me. You must cut yourself off from the chains. Severe your relations with everyone, even your own family." She purred. "That's what I did to my mother and father when they tried to stop me from my potential. And do you see where I am now? I'm ruling the most powerful empire in the world, crushing those who oppose me beneath my boot."

Talon's anger reached its limit, but Culda was too fast. She stabbed the side of his torso with a knife, Talon grunting loudly as she pushed him to the floor. She flipped him over and delivered a swift kick to his nose, breaking it in the process. Talon yelled at this and Culda pinned him down fully, straddling onto him, digging her nails into his chest.

"But you see Talon, all this can be fixed." She said. "Despite the trouble your sister is giving me, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones with you and Cassiopeia, if, you do me a favor."

He spat at her with a snarl, Culda rolling her eyes and digging her nails deeper into Talon who bit on his lip hard enough to make it bleed.

"Your sister is technically a traitor now." Culda said bluntly. "Sailing over to Ionia who's at war with us to bring back a Noxian who went rogue for the purpose of overthrowing me. Doesn't sound so good to the public right? And it would put you and Cassiopeia in an unfavorable position."

"Nothing you say wi-"

A violent blow struck him, blood spurting on the carpet.

"I think you know what happens to traitors in Noxus right? Usually, they're just hung but given the influence your family has over some of the populace, perhaps it would be more fitting to have you hung by your entrails." Culda said, pausing for effect soon after. "Cassiopeia on the other hand, maybe I'll have her get dragged fully naked through the streets as the citizens shame her for being the sister and brother of a traitor." She hissed.

"You wouldn't." Talon spat.

"Oh, but I would." She purred. "And right now, I'm missing her screams. Excuse me for a moment."

Culda got off Talon who tried to immediately attack her, but her guards stopped him, and one put a glove over his eyes. Some rummaging was heard and when Culda told the guard to take his hand off Talon's eyes, he started to hear screaming.

"That's right. Squeal." Culda cooed.

She'd dug her nails into the exposed muscle of Cassiopeia's arm. The serpent lady couldn't exactly speak, but she still felt pain. Her wails sounded pitiful and inhumane, but to Talon they were horrifying. Culda ripped off a piece of Cassiopeia's skin, fresh blood flowing out as Talon was forced to watch.

"STOP IT YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He yelled.

Culda only cackled madly at this before digging her nails again into Cassiopeia. The woman's head jerked violently as her body did the same. She was like a mindless animal that didn't understand what was happening. Talon growled as he reached his breaking point.

"FINE! FINE! I'LL DO IT! JUST STOP!"

Just like that, Culda ceased her actions, looking at Talon with narrowed eyes. She kneeled down in front of him, giving him a light slap with her bloody hand before smiling. "That's a good boy."

Knowing that he was completely broken, Culda nodded to her guards and they pulled him up to his feet. Culda snapped her fingers to get his attention and Talon twitched, meeting her emerald eyes with a glare.

"What do you want me to do?"

Culda's grin became wide with her eyes doing the same. She started to give Talon the details.

…

* * *

Rafen was idly walking across the deck of the ship, a bottle of rum in his hands. Everyone except him and the crew member at the helm was asleep. Miss Fortune was sound asleep in her cabin, Katarina right next to her and resting her head on the captains' pillow-like breasts after finally choosing to bunk with her. James and Evelynn were resting in a corner, the succubus laying on top of him, her backside on his front waist. Riven and Maddoc seemed to be sleeping in awkward like positions, given that they'd been drinking heavily prior to falling asleep.

Rafen took a hearty sip from the bottle, soon tapping his feet on the wooden surface. "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum. Drink and the devil had done for the rest. Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" He sang with a bit of a slur.

Suddenly, he heard a caw up high, and Rafen looked up to see half a dozen crows flying above. He raised a brow at this. What were crows doing out here in the middle of the ocean? Rafen went to the railing of the ship, seeing the crows flying towards a mist that seemed to be…

"By the Gods." Rafen said with horror in his voice. He dropped the bottle of rum with a shatter. "The Black Mist."

To add more to his anxiety, Rafen saw a ship emerge from the mist. Its appearance topped off the situation and he made quick haste.

"Captain! Captain!" He shouted barging into Miss Fortune's cabin, seeing that she was already sitting up with an unamused look. She covered her body with the blanket.

"You better have a damn good reason for barging in here Rafen." She snapped.

"Captain, there's a ship to starboard! It's surrounded by Black Mist!"

Immediately Sarah's expression went from angry to being concerned. She stood up from her bed, fully naked and pacing to Rafen. "You're sure?"

"Positive captain! It's heading straight for us!" He exclaimed.

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" Miss Fortune muttered. "Alright get everybody up! I want movement on deck! Step to!" She commanded.

Rafen quickly nodded and sprinted out, barking orders to the others who woke up as Sarah got dressed and ran out of the cabin.

On the deck, overlapping voices were heard, mostly of fear with the approaching ship. James and Evelynn were still tired with Riven and Maddoc being hungover and remained mostly oblivious to the situation. Sarah approached the deck, leaning to get a good look at the ship before she had a crew member give her the telescope.

Upon looking through the object, Sarah eyed the ship tensely. Its color was dark, and it was certainly part of The Shadow Isles. Some crows were perched on the deck while some flew around above. The redhead could see some movement on the deck, but it wasn't until she spotted a woman cloaked in ebon feathers. Sarah's other eye opened with shock when that woman seemed to stare directly at her.

Lowering the telescope, Miss Fortune found herself face to face with that woman.

"HOLY SHIT!" She exclaimed, jumping back.

Before she could take action, Sarah felt herself get snared in golden chains. In fact, everybody on she could see was snared in those chains, rendering them immobile and unable to move. The woman let out a cackle at this.

"Good evening everyone." The woman said.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Sarah demanded.

"You will not be the one asking questions around here dear." The woman purred. "I will be doing that. Luckily for you, I only have two questions. Where is Elise? And where is James Holland?"

Miss Fortune raised a brow at this, the pale woman taking notice of this by doing the same thing with a smirk. The cabin door opened, and Katarina stepped out.

"What the hell's going on here?" She asked, daggers in her hand.

The Sinister Blade met the eyes of the woman clad in a dark purple uniform, a large feather of the same color atop her head. The redhead groaned.

"Ah, Katarina!" Leblanc exclaimed with a pleasant tone. "I guess this is the correct ship! Nice to see you're not dead!"

Katarina scoffed at this. Miss Fortune looked at her with shock. "You know this woman?"

"Unfortunately, I do." Katarina said grimly. "Don't worry, she won't harm you. I think."

"I'll release them once they answer my questions." Leblanc said bluntly. "Actually, it's better if you just answer them. Where is Elise? And where is Holland?"

"Right here." A voice said.

The Deceiver looked to her right slightly, seeing the "late" James Holland emerging from the shadows. Leblanc actually let out a sigh of relief, tilting her head with a smile that didn't hold malice.

"Never thought I'd say this but I'm actually happy to see you." James said.

Leblanc laughed at his words, a joyful and heartwarming laugh that no one in centuries had heard from a woman like her. Once she calmed down, she came to a realization. Leblanc actually raised a brow with a frown. "Wait… where's Elise?"

James bit his lower lip, sighing as he looked down. Leblanc was confused. It wasn't possible. No. It couldn't have been.

Meanwhile Riven and Maddoc finally woke up, and the white-haired girl noticed James conversing with…

The Exile recognized the woman, even with her darker than usual attire. She growled as she clenched her fist and stood up. Maddoc looked at her as Riven felt a spark of anger flare inside her.

"Come… I'll show you." James said forlornly to Leblanc.

The Deceiver was still unsure if it was possible. Her eyes fell upon a woman with two lashers coming out of her back, Leblanc recognizing her as Elise's special "friend". Why was she here?

"Hey." A voice growled.

James and Leblanc turned to see Riven standing in an intimidating pose. Her fists were clenched as she glared at The Deceiver who was a bit surprised to see she was alive.

"Ah Riven… you're still alive." Leblanc said not showing any sign of nervousness.

"It's not good that I am?" Riven seethed, marching towards Leblanc who raised a brow. James put his hand out to halt her, but Leblanc gestured for him not to.

"I do suppose you're wondering why the position Swain sent you was um, bombed with chemicals?" Leblanc asked rhetorically.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut your head off with my blade." She growled.

The Deceiver sighed at this. "Look it wasn't an intentional bombing. What do you want me to say Riven?"

The Exile looked away briefly before looking at Leblanc who saw her crimson eyes flash briefly. The next thing she knew, the mage was clubbed to the floor from Riven's heavy blow.

"HOW ABOUT SORRY WE BOMBED YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FUCKING UNIT?!" Riven asked angrily.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Maddoc exclaimed as he held her back, James giving assistance. "Take it easy! Easy!

"I'm sorry it happened!" Leblanc shouted back. "Take it up with Culda! Swain recalled the chemists back, but Culda had gained a lot of authority during that time and she kept them there! It wasn't intentional!"

Riven tried her best to remain angry, but it was futile. Memories of the battle flashed in her mind and she started to sob loudly as Maddoc comforted her, brushing her white hair gently. James grimaced at this, putting his hand on her shoulder, but then he noticed something else.

Evelynn was coming up beside James, and she gave him a vulnerable type of look before he noticed her hand rest on Riven's other shoulder. They were glowing pink briefly, and James saw Evelynn's charm wash over the upset girl. Just like that, her hysterical crying and wails died down, but she was still sad.

"You need to relax." Evelynn whispered to Riven, a hint of tenderness in her voice.

James looked at Evelynn, giving her an appreciative nod with Evelynn smiling lovingly at him. The man turned to Leblanc who stood up. Exchanging a look with Maddoc, James focused on the more important task.

"Come." He beckoned.

Leblanc felt a knot form in her stomach, following James down as Maddoc continued comforting Riven.

…

* * *

Minh watched Culda slowly pace back and forth as she waited for her men to bring Talon. The storm had passed in Noxus and she chose to address the public's growing curiosity about the disappearance of the Du Couteau's. She'd have Talon speak out against his sister, saying she was a traitor. Despite Talon's utmost loyalty to Katarina, he had no choice but to do what Culda asked. Cassiopeia was innocent in this, and given that he'd lost Marcus, Talon didn't want to lose a sister as well. He had a good feeling that Katarina could take care of herself, but saying she was a traitor made his stomach churn.

Speaking of Talon, that's who came through the door, dressed in his usual clothing minus the lethal weapons. Two guards pushed him to keep going and Culda smiled, crossing her arms as she approached him.

"I'm sure you already know, but I'll just remind you about what's at stake here." She snapped. "If you say anything I don't like, or even try to say I kidnapped you, all I have to do is give Minh here the go-to and that'll be it for your snake bitch. Understand?"

Talon's eyes flared, a vein even appearing along his head, but he hesitantly nodded. Culda smirked and gestured to the stairway up to the podium. Talon took a deep breath and slowly made his way up, Culda and Minh following him. Upon stepping outside, Talon felt himself get pushed aside by Culda with Minh standing uncomfortably close to the assassin. Talon could hear Minh's heavy breaths as he stared him down in the helmet.

"Citizens, and soldiers, of Noxus!" Culda announced from atop. "It has been brought to my attention that there's a rumor of some suspicions, and concerns, with the disappearance of the three Du Couteaus. Some say they were kidnapped by me, others say they fled Noxus under my orders." She said before stopping. "Well… it's very obvious that both of those assumptions are utter nonsense. However, the one about fleeing Noxus isn't too farfetched. To show that I am being truthful, Talon Du Couteau will take the stage to share a rather… unfortunate revelation."

Culda stepped down from the podium, beckoning Talon to come. He glared daggers at her as he paced. She grabbed his arm forcefully, leaning to his ear just to remind him again of what was at stake. Talon yanked his arm away from her, taking a deep breath before stepping up to the stand. Clearing his throat, Talon spoke.

…

* * *

James had moved Elise's body down to the interior of the ship. He didn't want any seagulls that happened to fly by picking at the corpse. Leblanc had on an emotionless face, her staff in her hand firmly.

"Just in here." He said entering a room.

The Deceiver followed James and stopped when he pointed at a blanket on a table. Leblanc recognized it, the horribly disfigured body of Elise, the same night she approached her in the denizens of her worn down mansion. She approached the blanket, putting delicate fingers on the top before pulling it down.

Leblanc held that emotionless expression when seeing the face of The Spider Queen, dried up blood on her disfigured face. James said nothing, crossing his arms and looking away. Ever so slowly, Leblanc's brows furrowed and her lips quivered. James heard her breathing become heavier, and Leblanc gently put her hand along Elise's side, brushing it down the rotting skin.

A tear dripped down.

"You casted such glorious webs." She said with sadness. "Even in death, you still pull the strings."

Leblanc leaned down to Elise's forehead, planting a kiss on it before reeling back. She gently pulled the staff over The Spider Queen's body, covering her once more. The Deceiver wiped away another tear with her thumb. After a few moments, she turned to James.

"How did she die?" Leblanc asked.

James sighed at this. The Deceiver glared at him.

"Tell me James." She snapped. "TELL ME!"

He flinched, but he chose to speak. "She died… protecting me from Sion. He wounded her severely, but she used what she had left of her powers to prevent him from killing me."

"Did you think about giving her a fresh sacrifice?" Leblanc asked coldly.

James glared at the woman. "For your information, I offered myself to be the sacrifice. I begged her to do it." He snapped.

"And why didn't she go through with it?"

"Because she said she wanted to stop living a lie as an immortal monster." James stated bluntly. "She wanted to embrace her true self."

The Deceiver's shoulders slumped when hearing this. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I see. How unfortunate, and naive."

James turned to the woman, feeling a bit surprised by the woman's words, but also a bit annoyed. "What do you mean by that Leblanc?"

"I warned her of having feelings such as love." Leblanc sighed. "It's sweet, but it leads to nothing but pain in the end. I'll never understand why immortal, cold hearted monsters like her and her friend choose to let mortals interfere with their feelings."

The man snorted at this. "And yet you're the one who's fucking Swain right?"

During their talk, James and Leblanc were unaware that Evelynn was listening just outside the door. Her tendrils twitched at the words.

"Oh, shut up." Leblanc snapped. "Me and Swain may enjoy each other's company, but I'd never let him get close to my heart. He's just one of the thousands of flings I've had in this century compared to previous ones. Oh, speaking of flings, what exactly is going on with you and Elise's friend up there?" She snickered.

James growled at this, but a familiar voice interrupted any further conversation. Evelynn walked inside, drawing attention from both figures.

"If you're going to talk about me, maybe don't do it behind my back honey." She said, aiming it towards Leblanc.

"Ah, there she is, The Agony's Embrace." Leblanc began. "How did you ever get involved in such a situation like this?"

Evelynn raised a thin brow in question, Leblanc smirking at her.

"I know all about you… Evelynn. Don't think I'm oblivious to the activities you and Elise did. It was impressive to say the least." Leblanc stated. "But… I'm rather baffled that you and James seem to be together. Why in the world would a demon of lust like you let yourself fall for a mortal man?"

Evelynn frowned at the woman, but also glared. "We all have our reasons. Elise had her reasons, and I have mine." She snapped.

"And look where that got Elise." Leblanc said casually. "Oh Evelynn, you need to remember where you came from. You're a demon who grew and fed on the effects of the Rune Wars. Not to mention you have no morals of ethics based on what I've seen."

Leblanc felt herself get pushed against the wall by James who was glaring at her. "I've heard enough!" He snapped. "This isn't important right now. How about you tell us why you're here, Leblanc."

"And how in the hell Culda managed to know what exactly I was doing when I left Noxus." A voice interrupted.

Everyone turned to see Katarina standing in the doorway, arms crossed with a glare at Leblanc. The Deceiver scoffed, but also obliged. They had more important things to worry about and began to talk.

…

* * *

Riven finally calmed herself down, Maddoc's shirt a bit drenched with her tears but he didn't care. They were at the helm of the ship, sitting in a corner.

"Maddoc, I'm… I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to get so angry." Riven said wiping away one last tear.

"It's alright, it's alright." Maddoc soothed. "I know you're still torn up about what happened, and frankly seeing you hit that woman was quite satisfying, but if she came all the way out here for us, then maybe you can hold off any further assaults."

The Exile softly chuckled at his words. She felt his hand entwine with hers, clenching it tightly. Riven slowly looked up to meet his blue eyes as he stared into her red pupils.

Maddoc took in her features; Riven's moderately long hair that stopped just around her sharp chin, some of it being bounded up in the back. He traced a finger along the white paint on her cheek, Riven feeling how warm his hand was.

The Exile also did the same, taking in his features. Maddoc's jawline was sharp and had minor amounts of stubble along it. His short brown hair perfect for running her fingers through with a fuzzy feeling.

They both cupped each other, staring tensely into their eyes now.

"Riven, what do you intend to do after this is all over?" Maddoc asked.

"I'm not sure." Riven replied. "I don't intend to return to Noxus. Even if Swain didn't intend for that bombardment to happen, I still won't fight for them. Not anymore."

Maddoc nodded understandingly. He looked away briefly to think about his next words. "Riven, whatever you choose to do, I just want you to know that I'll support whatever decision you make."

The Exile thanked him for his words. However, Maddoc had something else to say, Riven leaning to listen.

"I just want to ask you this. Do you mind if I accompany you? Wherever you choose to go?" Maddoc asked, pleading in some cases.

Riven blinked at this. She wasn't sure if she should even consider this. Maddoc was a Noxian and he had the attitude when necessary, but he wasn't exactly the best person in hand to hand combat. Riven didn't know where her ventures would take her, but she wasn't sure if Maddoc would be in peril during them.

Regardless, he'd shown that he cared for her, and after some time, Riven returned those feelings. Sighing at this, she took both his hands with hers and brought them down.

"I don't know where they will take me Maddoc." She said. "It could be dangerous, and it might even bring harm to me, or you."

"You think I care?" He retorted. "I don't care where they lead me. As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine… even in death."

Riven sighed at this. She weakly smiled at him with Maddoc giving back the same reaction.

"Okay." She said. "After all, I guess without me babysitting you, you'd probably be killed immediately."

Maddoc rolled his eyes with Riven laughing. "Ah shut up." He said playfully.

…

* * *

The crowd had mixed reactions when Talon stopped speaking. Everything he just told riled them up in ways that were good and bad for Culda. Some suspected the Du Couteaus were against Culda while others believed this to be a ruse. Talon said without emotion that his sister was an enemy of the state, and that he and Cassiopeia couldn't bear to share the same residence. So, she left Noxus, fleeing to Ionia that Noxus was at war with.

Culda stood up at the podium, clearing her throat before gripping both sides of the stand.

"You heard it right from her own brother, Katarina Du Couteau, the daughter of Marcus Du Couteau, is a traitor." She began. "I know it is hard to grasp such a grim truth, but she is wandering into enemy territory without the intent to pull a strategic attack. Her only intention is to overthrow me in a vain attempt to seize the title herself by bringing back an unknown Noxian deserter. The destiny of Noxus is to rule over all others, but we cannot do that unless we remove the chains holding us back! It's time to let the past die. Let it all be forgotten! Effective immediately; Martial law will be put in effect. Nobody is allowed to leave Noxus, nor can anyone enter it until we have a better understanding of the situation. For the time being, any who support or collaborate with the Du Couteaus will be hunted down and killed. For those who are willing to severe their ties; You will kneel before me and give your allegiance. Today, Noxus leaves behind the past, embraces the present, and moves to a brighter future!" She finished.

The last few sentences made the crowd practically clamor, and Culda could see several of her guards struggling to hold them back. More guards ran out to give assistance, and Culda made her exit, hearing gunshots and the crowd screaming in fear. She put her hand on Talon's back and made him walk with her.

"Excellent work my dear boy." Culda purred to Talon who offered no response. "Congratulations, you've managed to save Cassiopeia's life in exchange for that traitorous redhead."

"Just let us go. I did what you wanted, now honor your word!" Talon spat.

Culda snickered in response. She smiled sultrily at the pissed off man. "Of course, my dear." She said before turning to Minh. "Captain, please have two of your men accompany me and Talon back to my manor where we'll give his sister the potion and immediately throw them into the dungeon."

Talon's eyes widened, and he lunged at Culda, but Minh held him back. Culda gave him an unamused look.

"Culda you lying bitch!" He snarled.

"Lying?!" Culda said with fake-hurt. "I never once said I'd let you two go free, only saying that I'd heal your serpent sisters' wounds."

The assassin struggled hopelessly against Minh. Culda clutched his sharp jaw harshly. "You and she will be staying in there until your arrogant supporters are dealt with." She hissed.

Two more guards came and grabbed Talon, dragging him away from Minh and Culda. The Grand General turned to see her messenger running towards them both, skidding to a stop as he panted heavily.

"What do you have to report?" She asked.

"It's the citizens who attended your speech, Madam." He said. "They're proving to be more violent and resistant than we expected."

Culda hummed at this, looking away briefly as she considered her next choice. Her emerald eyes met the messengers. "Have the use of lethal force be authorized. Send a message to those who would dare to rebel against me."

"At once madam."

…

* * *

Leblanc finally came back up to the deck of the ship with her magic transporting Elise's corpse alongside her. The Deceiver refused to leave it out here at sea. She'd give it a proper burial in Noxus.

Assuming it'd still be there.

She and James had their discussion, both being up to date on what the other one had gone through. James was less than pleased when learning that Culda had a strong grip on the Empire but felt a minor pinch of relief when learning that some were beginning to resent her. Katarina was beyond furious when Leblanc said that Culda captured and tortured both Talon and Cassiopeia.

James and Evelynn came up soon after, seeing Leblanc snap her fingers with Elise's body bag disappearing in a poof of purple smoke. Miss Fortune noticed that she'd returned and approached Leblanc with a stern look. The Deceiver raised a brow at this.

"Well now that you've had your reunion with your friends there, how about you tell me what in the hell you're doing with a ship from the Shadow Isles?!" Sarah spat.

Leblanc sighed with exasperation. "It is merely one of the gains my organization had with the person who saved you all from that behemoth who slaughtered most of your crew."

Sarah's eyes widened. She leaned uncomfortably close to Leblanc who didn't flinch. "You should know what kind of stuff you're dealing with when sailing around in a vessel like that."

"Oh believe my dear, I do." Leblanc cackled. "If Katarina wasn't so insistent on sparing you, I'd have finished off the behemoth's job in a heartbeat."

"Alright, that's enough!" Katarina said stepping in. "Sarah, she managed to sneak out of Noxus without being detected by Culda. If we're going to get back in, then we'll need her vessel."

Miss Fortune objected to the thought of even stepping foot on a vessel like that, but deep down she knew Katarina was right. Sarah wanted a piece of Culda, and nothing would stop her from doing such a thing. She sighed and agreed.

"We'll be needing your ship as a distraction." Leblanc said receiving a glare from the redheaded captain. "Just as a precaution. Culda will be occupied with it as we enter Noxus."

Miss Fortune's temper flared, but she realized they were correct. This ship woudn't survive another battle like the one they had with Culdas. "Fine."

The woman walked away from Leblanc who soon felt herself get grabbed by Katarina, a dagger dangerously close to her neck with the redhead glaring.

"If anything fatal happens to Talon, or Cassiopeia." She whispered with venom. "I will hold you responsible and ensure that The Black Rose will never bloom again."

Leblanc felt a shiver up her spine, but she shrugged it off. She nodded to The Sinister Blade who released her, pacing to join Sarah in her cabin. Riven and Maddoc walked by Leblanc, holding hands with Riven giving an unfathomable look at The Deceiver. Leblanc rolled her eyes and disappeared, appearing on her vessel and discussing her plans to her fellow Black Rose members.

Meanwhile, Evelynn felt a bit sorrowful. It wasn't because of Elise, but because of what Leblanc had said to her. The Agony's Embrace was born out of torment and sorrow, feeding off it during the Rune Wars. She was literally the evilest being in the history of the world, and now she wondered… why? Why had she allowed herself to fall for this man? Why was she choosing to help him on this venture for revenge?

James noticed her expression and put his hand on her shoulder with the succubus idly looking at it.

"Evelynn?"

"Yes James?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah… just fine." She said in an unconvincing tone. Evelynn soon looked away. "No, no I'm not."

James turned Evelynn fully to him, the woman looking up with vulnerable eyes. James leaned forward, showing that she had his full attention.

"It's what Leblanc said." Evelynn stated sadly. "She's correct, I'm monster. Me and Elise… that's what we were. Just causing pain and agony for centuries. She may be right about love-"

"Hey, none of that." He interrupted.

"…about love leading to nothing but disappointment." Evelynn said, not stopping when James spoke. "Elise's feelings from long ago resurfaced and look where it got her. What if that happens to me? What if I end up getting fatally hurt because of something that I should have never felt in the first plac-"

She was cut off when James slammed his lips into hers, Evelynn surprised at this but embracing it without hesitation. Her talons moved down to his chin to give more leverage, but James pulled away.

"Now you listen to me." He said sternly. "You told me that you were born of a thousand screams. I'm not sure if that's literally how you came into existence, but just because you were born that way doesn't mean you have to live in that lifestyle. Evelynn, before I came to Noxus, I was a loner. I had acquaintances with maybe two or three people that I considered to be my friends, but we rarely talked."

"What does that even have to do with anything?" She asked.

"It has a lot to do with several things actually." A voice said.

Riven walked up to the couple, both their gazes falling upon the white haired warrior. Riven looked at Evelynn with a warm look.

"Evelynn, when I first met James, you wouldn't believe how much of a reclusive person he was. I mean you could put your hand on his shoulder asking about what's going on and he'd literally point his weapon at you." Riven said.

"Don't remind me." James groaned.

"I've had him do it to me love." Evelynn replied. "Though it was more understandable given that I jumped him in the shower."

Riven was a bit surprised by this and avoided diving deeper into the scenario. She cleared her throat, looking at the succubus.

"What I'm saying is that he's a different person now. He was, as he told you, a loner for most of his life, but he didn't want to be that way forever." Riven said before looking down, her eyes hidden from both figures. "I had complete dedication to Noxus, being a mere ruthless killing machine. I killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Ionians. It didn't matter if they were soldiers or civilians, strength was all that mattered. But then, even though it wasn't Swain's call from what I heard, my faith was shattered. The weapons they used on that village we hit had no purpose on any battlefield."

Evelynn's brows furrowed at this. When she met Riven before, the girl didn't go into much detail and seeing as the succubus practically hated her at that point, she didn't care. That wasn't the case here.

"Horror and betrayal were all I felt." Riven said. "When I washed upon the shores, my spirit felt shattered. My dedication and loyalty to the empire, gone. I realized I didn't want to continue to live a life where so much death happened. So I broke my sword, intending to severe my ties with the past and leave it behind. The brutal warrior in me died that day, but the blood of the innocent is forever stained on my hands."

The Exile put her hand gently on Evelynn's shoulder. The succubus stared at her with wide eyes of interest.

"I won't tell you what you want to be Evelynn, because that is something I'm still figuring out for my own path." She said. "I'll always have a pinch of a brutal soldier in my heart Evelynn, and I won't deny that fact that you'll always be a predator in the same area. You can never forget your past, but you don't have to build off it as well. All that matters Evelynn, is what, and who, you choose to be now."

Evelynn felt something wash over her. It was a feeling of relief and fear? Being the woman she was, it never occurred to Evelynn that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to necessarily kill thousands of people. One could assume she'd been doing it for centuries that she never figured when to stop and just got lost in a pool of blood.

The Exile's words reached her, and Evelynn's eyes once more showed that softer side. Riven smiled weakly at her and then looked at James. He was a bit surprised at why she'd said those things and asked her.

"The passing of her friend… I've seen it before James. From a certain person that we both came to love." Riven said with a bit of sadness on the last couple words. "Jade…"

The man sighed, putting his hand firmly on Riven's shoulder and their eyes met. "Riven… thank you."

Before she could react, James pulled her closer to him and he planted a kiss on her cheek, holding it for a few moments as Riven's eyes widened, heat rushing to her cheeks as James pulled away. She put her hand along the skin where he left it, looking at him, still with wide eyes.

Both of them turned to Evelynn who had her arms crossed with a playful grin. James immediately felt like it wasn't such a good idea with Riven rubbing one hand along her shoulder, looking away. Evelynn laughed at this.

"I'll allow it just that one-time love." Evelynn giggled. "I suppose I should thank you though. Maybe your words… will have an impact in the future."

The Exile nodded and chose to part away from the couple. Evelynn took James's hand and their gazes met.

"I'm glad I didn't flay her head to toe." Evelynn soothed.

"Do you think you may actually want to become, maybe less of a monster, and more… human?" James asked, unsure of how to phrase it.

The woman gave a shrug. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Hard to say love, but her words did reach me."

James hummed in agreement, but then felt a naughty arm snake down his side and James grunted when Evelynn grabbed his firm ass. He looked at her with the succubus having on that old mischievous smile.

"Of course, that still doesn't mean I'd want to stop doing some rather, sadistic acts?" She purred.

James chuckled in response, his gloved hand going down to her plump rear, grabbing a cheek with Evelynn letting out a surprised, yet seductive squeal.

"I never said I'd want you to stop doing that." He growled. "Truthfully, I kind of like it."

"Ooh, you are one kinky bastard James." Evelynn giggled.

…

* * *

Culda sat in her living room, pouring a generous amount of wine into her glass and gulping it down with a smile. It was quiet in her manor apart from the taps of rain against her large windows. Her messenger came into the room bearing more news..

"What do you have for me?" She asked.

"Minh and his men are currently ransacking locations they believe have supporters of the Du Couteaus in. Some Commanders of the Noxian military have threatened to resign in the wake of your speech Madam." The messenger said.

"Hmm." Culda mused, turning away as she sighed. "Well that is unfortunate about the Commanders. Suppose even the most battle-hardened soldiers in the military still hold empathy. Stubborn fools."

Suddenly, the front door on the mansion busted open and Minh came in panting heavily, staggering in the process. Culda and the messenger looked at him with wide eyes, the woman vaulting over the couch to give aid.

"What the hell happened?!" She demanded.

Minh panted heavily. Culda noticed that some of his armor had blood splattered on it. He finally caught his breath.

"There's… there's more resistance out there than we expected." Minh said exhausted. "Some soldiers from the military intervened and took up arms against us. They wiped out every single one of my men."

Culda felt her temper start to build up. She stood up, inhaling and exhaling sharply. "How did this even happen? How, and why, did soldiers in the military oppose you?!" Culda demanded.

"I overheard some of them saying… that you left James Holland for dead on the battlefield. With today's speech, that didn't seem so unbelievable to some people." Minh wheezed.

The woman growled at this, grinding her teeth together as she let her anger almost consume her, but Culda managed to refrain from unleashing it. She took a deep breath.

"Deploy my personal guard." She said.

"What?" The messenger asked.

"I said deploy my personal guard." She snapped, punching the wall and leaving a big dent in it. "Looks like I underestimated the loyalty of these people. Guess I'm going to have to replace the troops in the military with my own. Minh, you will ransack this entire city, inside and out. Find every single last citizen or soldier that you deem isn't loyal to me and kill them. I don't care if they have families, kill them."

"Of course." Minh nodded.

The Captain took his leave and Culda turned to her now terrified messenger. "Inform my troops of the situation. Cleanse this city of scum." She seethed.

She turned around to walk up the stairs but still knew that the messenger hadn't moved. Without looking back, Culda gripped the railing tight.

"NOW!" She yelled.

He barged out after she said that, and the woman paced up to her bedroom. Culda stomped down the hallway as a flash of lightning lit up the interior, a loud thunderclap sounding afterward. She finally reached her bedroom, locking the door and going to her closet. Culda took out a brown case, sitting on her bed as another flash of lighting occurred.

The woman took a deep breath and opened up the case. Inside of it was a Void Staff. The same Void Staff that she'd traded with The Dark Sovereign weeks ago. Culda traced her hand over it but didn't touch it.

_"This my dear Balgan, is a Void Staff. As its name implies; it is reminiscent of The Void. The dark nightmarish dimension said to exist outside space and time."_

The conversation with Balgan regarding this object ran through Culda's head. She had steady breaths as she brought her open palm closer to the object.

_"Culda… where are you going with this?"_

_"What I'm saying is with this staff, we could summon the nightmarish denizens from that dimension, and unleash them upon our enemies. The Black Rose, Ionia, Demacia, Piltover, The Freljord… EVERYWHERE!"_

Culda bit her lip. For the first time in a while, she wondered; was she going too far?

_"Culda. My dear sweet Culda. When did you abandon reason for madness?"_

The woman moved her hand slowly to close the case, but as she did, something else flashed in her mind.

Images from her childhood appeared in her head. Culda made sounds of distress as images popped and disappeared. Culda saw pictures of her as a little girl, blood-soaked and lying on the ground after the fights she started with kids at school. She was led to believe that no matter how wealthy you are, if you're going to be a Noxian, then you better have the endurance of one.

It was something her parents never taught her, and she learned it through propaganda.

Another thing appeared in her mind. It was a former lover of hers. She made out the scar along his chin. His taper faded hair.

**"James…"**

The name echoed through her like a thunderclap with conveniently occurred at the same time. Culda felt a feeling of rage and anger wash all over her.

His face was a symbol of something she feared the most; Failure. The chance of her being humiliated again, just like when she was a child. This time.., it would be bigger, and her legacy would be one of embarrassment and failure instead of a strong and fearless leader. Culda's chest heaved as she looked at the staff for what seemed like hours.

Sometime later, Culda emerged from her bedroom, not bothering to turn around as she closed the door. The woman's breathing was uneven, and she gently slid up her sleeve to see the bandage covering a majority of her arm. Delicately rubbing it, Culda swallowed and paced down the hallway, not intending to return to the bedroom anytime soon.


	23. Belly Of The Beast

The people who resisted Minh and his troops were still surveying the area of the massacre, the uniforms of the fallen soldiers stained in blood with a huge pool of it forming around bodies that were laying together. The crowd was a mixture of Noxian soldiers and armed civilians.

"Culda's certainly up to no good when she declares martial law and then sends out her guards to mop up those that she thinks oppose her." A civilian said.

"Why would she do that?" Another one asked.

"Beats me." A soldier said. "She's having her guards take up positions that would require a rank of Commander, but those soldiers certainly aren't in that range. Seems like she's hell-bent on wiping out the history prior to her ruling."

"Well she'll have a hard time trying to remove my history." A familiar voice said.

Everyone turned to see a man wielding two large axes pace towards them. The weapons were stained in blood, and the man had some of it along his handsome face.

Draven, The Glorious Executioner.

"I don't know exactly what Culda is up to, but seeing as she declared martial law, Draven's unable to share his work with the population outside of Noxus." Draven said, referring to himself in third person.

"You sure it doesn't have anything to do with you suspecting Culda had something to do with your brother's death?" The soldier asked.

Draven let out that usual triumphant laugh, maintaining that over-inflated ego he had. The laugh became a bit of a sigh near the end. "That may have something to do with it, but anyone who's against spreading Draven around is an enemy of mine." He said.

The soldier hummed in a tone that showed he didn't really care. Suddenly, a thump was heard. A civilian looked at a puddle of water, seeing it ripple lightly as another distant thump was heard. The crowd picked it up, and Draven narrowed his eyes as he turned around slowly. To his minor surprise, a garrison of Culda's forces were marching in unison towards the equally large crowd. Everyone saw the red glowing eyes of the helmets, some becoming nervous, but most standing their ground.

The garrison was a mixture of men and women yet again, some having Hextech guns with others having shields and spears. They stopped marching, the ones holding spears tapping the weapon against their shields like war drums.

"Stand down lawbreakers!" A commanding officer shouted. "Stand down or be fired upon!"

They obviously knew this wouldn't work, more to just rile up the crowd who glared fiercely at the helmets. Draven gripped his axes tight, ready to show these bastards who they were messing with. A civilian lit up a Molotov and prepared to throw it, but a guard shot them with the person falling over on the ground, the bottle shattering and setting the person ablaze.

After that, all hell broke loose.

The crowd clamored as they started to charge against the guards who opened fire, cutting down several of their opposition. Draven reeled back his arms and threw both of his massive axes into the center of the garrison. Some of them were unfortunately cut down in a bloody fashion and the crowd seized this chance to attack. The two forces violently clashed, sounds of blades clanking and dying people echoing into the night. Unfortunately for the guards, Draven's axes came spinning back to him, cutting down more guards which allowed the crowd to push in even further.

Two civilians were beating a male guard to death while a female guard had closed her hands around a former soldier's head, her gloved thumbs digging into his eyes as blood started to spurt out.

"TRAITOR!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

More guards gunned down their opposition, those with shields choosing to give them protection from the ones who'd try to sneak up. Draven hurled his axes at the gun-wielding guards that ricocheted back to him given his years of being the executioner.

Despite his efforts, the guards were proving to be more competent in battle, creating a wall with their shields and jabbing through with the spears. Draven saw that it wasn't exactly faring well for his side, but he didn't let up. He took down two guards at the same time, spinning his axes that were coated in crimson.

…

* * *

"S-Swain!" A young man said panting as he ran through the catacombs. "Swain!"

Swain was conversing with Vladimir and he turned when the man finally reached him, catching his breath as he rested his hands on his knees.

"Calm down son." Swain said. "What is it?"

"Culda's guards are ransacking the city. They're clashing with some who are resisting in the streets. Draven is amongst them!"

Swain was silent as his mouth gaped slightly. He looked away to consider his thoughts. "It's as I feared. She's turning brother against brother, just as Loomis warned."

"Well there's nothing we can really do. It's hopeless to try and take her on Jericho." Vladimir said.

This time, Swain gave Vladimir a deathly glare. He approached him with his demonic hand glowing as the reaper remained unfazed.

"Ever since Culda rose to power, the only thing you and Evaine have done is hide in the shadows." He growled. "Did you ever think about doing the opposite and actually taking a stand against the enemy?"

"We were only doing the most appropriate actions." Vladimir stated.

"And look where that got you. Look at the outcomes it's produced." Swain seethed. "The future of Noxus is in the hands of a rabid cur, and yet you still choose to hide."

Vladimir raised a brow when seeing Swain paced into another room. A minute later, he emerged, clad in his tyrant armor minus the helmet.

"Jericho, this isn't a very wise action. You know what will happen right?" He warned.

Swain gave one last glare at The Crimson Reaper before putting on his helmet, his eyes glowing through the openings. "The future of Noxus is at stake, and I'll be damned if I just sit by and watch it burn."

Vladimir sighed, letting the former general pace away with the young man looking at him with shock.

"Where's he going?"

"To his death, the damned fool." Vladimir retorted, turning away from the doorway Swain had left from.

…

* * *

Culda was no longer in her manor, but instead in the High Command of Noxus. Prior to arriving, she sent part of her personal guard there to kill those who were against her and to spare those who supported her. Ever since her speech earlier in the day, Noxus had been unrestful. At first, it was just a series of protests, but the word of Culda's sinister actions spread around like wildfire. She had a feeling that the high ranked personnel that were spared supported her out of fear. Culda didn't mind that in the slightest. They knew their place under her ruling.

The woman stood at the window of the office, her figure painted in the pale moonlight, hands behind her back with her bandaged arm remaining unseen. A door opened, and she once again saw her messenger entering the room. She didn't bother asking him what he had to offer.

"Your forces are engaged with the rebels in the street my General." He said. "They're putting up more resistance than we expected, but we also have reason to believe that the bulk of their force is there."

Culda scoffed when hearing this. She smirked and turned around to him, her black hair cascading over her eye yet again.

"As I suspected. Those protestors may try to come off as fearless, but only a quarter of them actually take action. They're no Noxians." She said. "Send another garrison to aid my forces. I have a feeling there'll be more coming. Also, clear out the Military Academy, separate the traitors from the loyalists. And have a smaller portion of my guards ransack the homes of those who are in full rebellion against me."

She turned away, but almost snarled when he gently said her name.

"You are aware that the academy is mainly occupied by the soldiers loyal to the Du Couteau's correct?" He advised. "Perhaps we should wait until your forces regroup."

Culda turned around with a murderous glare, the boy flinching. She slowly paced to him with that look, not even blinking.

"Okay… have them ransack it first thing in the morning. I don't think it'll take all night to destroy the opposition in the streets. Is that understood?" She asked.

The messenger nodded furiously, walking out of the room and leaving the woman alone. Culda examined her arm again, chuckling softly.

"To think we've come to this."

…

* * *

The battle in the streets continued to rage on, bodies having been piled up in a large pool of crimson. A soldier managed to strike a guard down and with a war cry, impaled his axe directly into their face. A few armed civilians tackled a few guards down with their numbers, but one of the guards killed two civilians with her spear before getting stabbed to death. A large axe ricocheted off a guard with a gun and landed in Draven's hand. He was a bloody mess as he kept hurling them with ease. Then, a bullet managed to hit his shoulder, making the man reel from the impact.

"Ah, mother fuckers!" Draven yelled in frustration.

A spearman thrusted at Draven who sidestepped, swinging his axe at their feet and severing their legs with the guard falling down. The Executioner turned around to decapitate a female guard trying to flank him, the body falling lifelessly to the ground. A guard shot at Draven which missed, and he impaled one of his axes into their chest, lodging it this time and leaving him with only one.

Draven, having one axe now, gripped it with his other hand and uppercut it into a swordsman. Another guard tried to stab him from behind, but Draven avoided it and grabbed the weapon, thrusting it forward into a guard that charged him before elbowing the one behind him and slicing through their midriff with the body severing.

"Come on, plenty more Draven to go around!" He said clearly exhausted.

Then what sounded like an explosion happened and Draven was sent flying into the air, crashing into a wall with parts of it crumbling. Landing on the concrete ground, Draven groaned in pain as his ears began to ring, every sound starting to become drowned out. He looked around, seeing the piles of bodies in the street. Some of Culda's guards were still engaged in combat with those who resisted them. Looking to his left, he saw a soldier who was missing an arm. He slowly walked around, searching for it hopelessly.

The Glorious Executioner managed to stand up, barely keeping his balance as he slowly staggered. When his hearing started to return, Draven noticed that the fighting had all but died down. Him and what remained of his allies were surrounded by Culda's guards. Half of them held at gunpoint as a large figure walked into the area.

"Ah Draven, The Glorious Executioner!" The man said. He was clad on onyx armor and Culda's guards nodded to him as he beckoned them to stand down. "You always did have the most influential effect in Noxus, and truthfully, you've fought this battle valiantly! But now… it is over, and you have lost. Surrender now… and perhaps Culda will forgive you for your behavior."

A civilian glared at the man and stepped forward. "I will never kneel bef-!"

They were abruptly shot by a guard, Minh sighing at the civilians' choice to try and be a hero. They were still alive as Minh approached them, kneeling down with his arm on his knee.

"I was speaking to Draven, not you." He said before pressing his boot on their neck and practically crushing it as the person let out small croaks before finally dying.

Draven stared impassively at Minh who stood up straight. "Now tell me Draven, what will it be?" He got no response and Minh sighed. He ordered the guards to execute the man and his rebels.

"Captain! Look out!" A female guard shouted.

Minh noticed that around the area he was in, a large, red demonic eye was above him and the guards. He soon realized what it was, and his eyes widened.

"MOVE! WATCH OUT!" He shouted.

Minh rolled out of the way as the eye burst, coating the area in a red aura. The guards that remained there soon felt themselves get attacked by a flock of ravens. They screamed in agony as the Ravens managed to practically tear apart their bodies, bypassing the armor like it was paper. Blood poured out as some of the guards who were just outside of the light drew their swords and tried to strike the birds down. A few of them fell, but the Ravens soon retreated as red vapor trailed out of the bodies of the guards, flowing towards a dark alley where everyone's gaze went to.

"OPEN FIRE ON THAT ALLEY!" Minh shouted.

Immediately after saying that, a loud screech was heard, and an armored man seemed to… levitate out of the ally. Large wings sprouted from his back with the helmet taking shape of a beak. Some of the guards were in disarray with some firing upon the demonic being.

"Swain." Minh seethed.

Draven recognized the figure and he sprinted out of the area with his allies getting the message. The Executioner retrieved his other axe and resumed hurling them at the guards who continued to fire upon Swain who only grunted at the shots. He drained the life of the closest guards who soon fell, healing Swain as he began to fire crackling magic at the opposition.

"KILL THAT FUCKING BIRD!" Minh shouted.

Swain continued to levitate and heal from the guards, and when he was in the right position, he unleashed a nova of demonic energy that either killed or knocked back the guards closest to him.

As Culda's guards began to regain their composure, they soon found themselves getting blasted by magic from elevated positions with some on the ground. Some of them fell as others returned fire to where the blasts had originated from. A platform responsible for the explosion earlier was pulled into the area, numerous guards occupying it.

"Fire on the terrace!" The operator shouted.

An explosive charge was blasted at the destination, a few cloaked figures sent flying like ragdolls. Draven heard more shouts from behind and saw an adequately large force of Noxian Soldiers moving to their position. They were on their side preferably. He ran over to Swain who was pinned down in a nearby building.

"Nice to see you're back on your feet General." Draven chuckled.

"You stood by me when I was outcast, so I stood by you when you were drunk. In spite of the stench." Swain replied.

"And now we're both standing by each other in a coup!" Draven laughed. "Though it seems like we have far fewer allies this time around. Not even Draven can rally enough people."

"Weak of body; weak of mind." Swain replied.

Opposite of the approaching soldiers, Swain and Draven saw another garrison of Culda's forces charging their position. Minh stood atop a pile of rubble, raising up a Black Cleaver as he rallied his forces. Draven began to spin both his axes as Swain's demonic hand glowed.

"Who wants some Draven?!" Draven said as he hurled another axe.

Swain unleashed the demon from within once more and levitated forward as the two forces began to violently clash. Draven hurled more axes in directions opposite of each other before they returned to him with the result of more guards being slain. Some Noxian soldiers broke through the guard's shield wall, but they were met with equal ferocity from the opposition. Minh subdued two Noxian soldiers in a single blow, and his gaze fell upon Draven.

"DRAVEN!" Minh shouted, catching the executioner's attention. "Darius almost managed to subdue me, but I was the superior soldier! Come! Show me if you fare any better!"

Draven, for the first time in a while, lost that usual smug grin, and he actually glared. His ego had been put to the test, but now it was something much more personal. Gritting his teeth, Draven charged against Minh who did the same.

He threw an axe that Minh easily sidestepped, the captain swinging his cleaver high and bringing it down onto Draven who blocked it with his axe. The other axe came back to him and he slashed at Minh's torso. The hit did little to no damage and Minh swung from the side. Draven deflected it with one axe, but the swing had so much force it made his hand retreat. Minh swung again, Draven being forced to use the other axe to block it. The captain kicked him quite harshly with Draven being knocked back the distance. He actually laughed and had that smug grin when hurling the axe at Minh. It knocked the cleaver out of his hand, rendering the man weaponless. Draven felt cocky and threw the axe again.

Draven's smile disappeared.

"Impossible."

Minh had caught the axe, and he chuckled at Draven's expression. He threw the axe at its owner who was still surprised. Draven avoided it this time and that was all Minh needed. He tackled Draven down with his axe being dropped. The executioner grunted under Minh's weight and tried to punch him, but Minh pinned Draven with one hand, taking a knife out with his other. Draven's eyes widened at this, trying to stop Minh from bringing the weapon closer.

"No! D-d-d-d… Stop! Stop!" He stammered.

"Where's that smug grin?" Minh said with venom. "Are you afraid, glorious executioner?"

Draven continued to struggle, his legs thrashing violently as Minh brought the knife to the tip of his body. Then, he pressed it in. Draven croaked and let out a silent yell as Minh slowly stabbed him.

"Shh, shh, shh… go to sleep." He whispered.

With a final strained groan, Draven's struggle ceased, and his let out a final breath before his body laid still.

He was dead.

Minh groaned and sighed, getting off of his assailant. He noticed that amidst the battle, Swain's gaze had fallen upon him and Draven. The former general seemed to be showing fear. Minh grinned under his helmet and retrieved his cleaver, rejoining the fight.

…

* * *

The night had come and gone, but it wasn't exactly a sunny morning either. The water was covered in a thick fog, rendering the inhabitants unable to see anything in the far distance. The two ships continued to sail over the calm waters, a little surprised to find that they didn't encounter any other ships. One would think Culda would've had Noxian ships patrolling the shores close to the city, but there wasn't a single one in sight. Everyone was awake on the ship, James, Evelynn, Riven and Maddoc at the front with Katarina and Sarah along with what remained of her crew leaning on the rails. Leblanc expected to arrive in Noxus before the afternoon.

Sailing a bit further, a member of the Black Rose managed to finally make out something. He instantly knew what it was.

"See anything yet?" Leblanc asked with the intention of not getting an answer.

"I can see Noxus!" He announced.

Leblanc was surprised and walked over to get a closer look. Narrowing her eyes, she finally saw the land of the empire. She actually smiled, but it soon started to fade as she narrowed her eyes. James was staring tensely after hearing the announcement, and he saw something.

"Is that… smoke?"

Katarina and Miss Fortune soon came up to join them, The Sinister Blade squinting as well. Her eyes became a little wide when seeing that James was correct. It was difficult to see through the dense fog, but there was indeed smoke coming from the city.

In several locations as a matter of fact.

"By the Gods, it is. Noxus is… burning." Katarina said with rare horror in her voice.

A distant explosion sounded with another puff of smoke emitting into the sky. At the helm, Leblanc gasped as she brought down the telescope, handing it back to her member without looking. She did expect some unrest to occur in Noxus when she had her cult spread the word but never expected it to result in this.

A thunderclap was heard, and a flash occurred in the clouds. Evelynn felt something wet and small contact her shoulder. She looked up with disinterest at the sky as it began to rain. Everyone soon became drenched by the rain, some of Katarina's damp strands sticking to her face as Maddoc grasped Riven's hand tightly. She returned it without hesitation.

"So… you said that you needed my ship as a distraction?" Miss Fortune said turning to Leblanc.

The Deceiver's amber eyes fell upon the bounty hunter. She cocked up a brow but said nothing for a few moments. "Perhaps I was mistaken about that. It seems that this storm has masked our approach. Not to mention Culda is probably busy with whatever is causing the smoke to emit from numerous buildings."

"So, I'm keeping my ship then?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah… I don't think we're gonna have to worry about being seen." James interjected.

He was using his rifle's scope to zoom in, examining the docks and noticing that there didn't seem to be a single person present.

"Not seeing anybody in the docks. It looks deserted." James said.

"That's actually… pretty creepy." Maddoc added. "It's not like them to be so empty… and quiet."

"Something's off." James said, greatly suspicious.

Riven, through the downpour of rain, managed to pick up a faint sound. It was a familiar sound, one that she heard during the battle in the Ionian village. The Exile looked up with her red eyes narrowed. She made out an object soaring through the air before it descended down on a collision course with Sarah's ship.

"GET DOWN!" She shouted.

A violent explosion occurred as a green ball of inferno ignited on Miss Fortune's boat. Everyone's attention was drawn to it, Sarah's eyes widening in horror as her mouth hung wide open. Despite her agreement to it being a distraction, the redhead never expected it to be such a horrific scenario. She fell to her knees, shoulders slumped in defeat as a tear slid down her cheek.

"What the hell was that?!" James shouted.

"Looks like the same weapon they used during the attack on Sarah's ship!" Katarina yelled. "We need to get out of range!"

"INCOMING!" Maddoc shouted.

Another charge was launched, and it was heading towards their ship. Leblanc's eyes widened as she gritted her teeth.

"JUMP! ABANDON SHIP!"

James and the others took swift action, but he realized something.

Evelynn wasn't with him.

"Evelynn? EVELYNN?!" He said alarmed.

The man frantically looked around for his love and he finally saw her. Evelynn seemed to be a bit mesmerized by the explosion of Sarah's ship. She couldn't bring herself to look away. She felt a hand grab her arm and pull, but Evelynn didn't move.

"EVELYNN! MOVE!" James shouted.

The woman gasped as she seemed like she was just coming out of a nightmare. She looked around in confusion and saw James right next to her.

"James…"

The next thing she knew, Evelynn was tackled with her and James falling off the ship as the charge landed on it, resulting in a violent explosion. The pair landed in the water, the evidence of their existence quickly buried by the debris of the ship.

…

* * *

Two figures popped up from the water that was thrashing violently by the storm. James tried to take a deep breath, but in this position, he was taking in more water than oxygen. Evelynn didn't fare any better, but they both managed to find one another. It took their whole strength to get to land in this uphill battle. James and Evelynn grabbed onto some rocks, barely escaping the ocean that tried to reclaim them with its waves.

"Dammit! Oh God!" James said as he violently coughed up a hefty amount of water.

"James! You alright?" Evelynn asked before coughing up water as well.

"Y-…Yeah!" James said. "Oh, good God. I… wha-… where are the others?"

They both took deep inhales of oxygen to refill their needy lungs. James's armor, despite being damp, kept him appropriately warm. Evelynn, on the other hand, was shivering. James embraced her in his arms to keep her warm.

"Come on, let's get you out of the rain." He said.

They practically limped away from the rocks and walked onto a dock with the rain still coming down. James noticed a silhouette in the distance. He felt protective all of a sudden, his rifle holstered on his back and his sidearm at the ready. Once they both got close enough to the figure, it turned out to be Maddoc. And he had Leblanc with him who seemed to be unconscious.

"Hey Maddoc!" James shouted.

The man saw his former Commander and let out a sigh of relief. He stumbled forward where James put his arm out to give assistance. Leblanc was still held up.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

"I have no idea. We all just jumped ship, and everything just went dark for a few moments." Maddoc replied.

"Shit…" James grimaced.

Evelynn actually grimaced at this too. She looked around, hoping to see something that resembled Riven, or anyone else on the boat. The succubus looked back out at the rocks and saw a body wash up.

They had white hair.

"James! Look!" She said pointing.

Both men looked to where the succubus was pointing, and they saw Riven's body.

"Oh God." Maddoc whispered.

"Stay here, I'm gonna go get her!" James said.

However, James saw that Evelynn was no longer with him and he saw her leap onto the rocks, picking up Riven's body with her lashers, making sure they didn't harm the poor girl before bringing her back to the two men. Her blade was thankfully present as well.

"Thank you." James said.

"We need to revive her!" Maddoc said proceeding to take Riven out of Evelynn's grasp.

"Not out here! It's cold and given that we were fired upon by artillery, there's likely going to be some people looking for the stragglers." James pointed out.

Maddoc begrudgingly agreed. Moments later, some voices could be heard above the docks and James had a feeling those were the ones who fired the artillery. He frantically looked around for a place to hide and he saw an old abandoned building that was built into the waterfront.

"We'll hide out in there! Come on!" James ordered.

The three of them ran for the building with Maddoc now carrying Riven's body while James held Leblanc. Once they were inside, Maddoc placed Riven down on a nearby table after James cleared it off with Evelynn locking the door, standing guard. Riven's blade was placed against the wall as Leblanc was placed on a chair. James leaned to her mouth, hearing faint breathing. James then went over to the table and leaned down to Riven's mouth for a brief moment. He heard nothing.

"Shit, she's not breathing."

James removed his mouthpiece, but Maddoc put a hand out to stop him.

"I'll do it sir. You stand guard." He said, taking note of James's worried expression. "Please, it's better if you do."

The man sighed and reluctantly accepted. James primed his rifle and joined Evelynn who was looking tensely at the girl. She turned to James with a concerned look. She grabbed his hand tightly and James returned the favor. Maddoc breathed into Riven's mouth a few times and began to press down on her chest.

…

* * *

"Oooooh." Miss Fortune groaned as she laid flat on her back. She was soaked completely. "Goddammit!"

Katarina sputtered and coughed up water as she laid beside her fellow redhead, though she was on her stomach instead. The two of them caught their breaths, Sarah sitting up to see if anyone else was coming ashore. She put her hands on her holsters to still feel Shock and Awe attached. It made her smile slightly.

"Where… where is everybody?" She asked exhausted.

A man's groan was heard, both women turning to see someone stumbling to get out of the water. Miss Fortune sprang to her feet.

"Rafen!" She shouted.

Rafen fell to his knees, clearly in pain. He gasped for air, but then clutched his chest. Sarah tried to help him up, but Rafen stumbled with a pained groan. He was badly wounded and Miss Fortune realized that he had a bloody hole in his chest.

"Oh God, Kat get over here!"

The Sinister Blade seethed her teeth, but she got up and walked over to give assistance. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's got a collapsed lung and his chest cavities filling up quickly." Sarah said sadly. "Put pressure on his chest, it'll slow down the bleeding."

Katarina proceeded to do that as Rafen laid on his back, his breathing groggy and distorted. He managed a weak smile when seeing his captain looking at him with a smile too, but it held sorrow.

"Captain…"

"Rafen."

"You know I gotta say… I had a feeling it would end this way." He said with a little chuckle.

"Don't say that." Sarah replied. "I'm getting you out of here."

Rafen coughed when hearing this. "No… no, you're not. Don't worry Captain… it was always my destiny to die when aiding you in your crazy adventures. No matter the scenario, I'd follow you to the ends of this world, and back."

He started to choke as his mouth filled with blood. Miss Fortune's eyes glistened at the sight as she beckoned Katarina to cease the pressure. Rafen's chest was coated in crimson, but it washed away quickly from the downpour of rain. He laughed a little as he clutched Sarah's hand.

"Remember Sarah… Pirates Life." He said.

Rafen's head slowly tilted to his right and his choking stopped. He was dead, Miss Fortune biting her lips as she wiped away another tear. She brought her fingers down to his eyes and gently closed them. Katarina only scowled at the situation before feeling Sarah's arms around her, bringing her in for a tight hug. The redhead returned the favor as the rain kept coming down.

…

* * *

"Come on." Maddoc said as he kept pressing down on Riven's chest. "Come on!"

James had been listening to this and his anxiety was way over his head. His throat was sore, and he whimpered a little. Evelynn kept holding his hand tight, but James pushed her away as he ran out of patience. Maddoc kept trying to revive Riven to the point where he practically started to pound her chest instead with one fist. He was pushed aside by James who threw off his mouthpiece. Maddoc wanted to protest, but he let the sadness all but consume him.

"Come on Riven." James said as he started to pound Riven's chest the same way Maddoc did. "Come on."

Evelynn's brows furrowed. It felt like she was on the boat again when Elise died. Her lips started to quiver, and James quickly became frustrated. He grunted angrily as he kept pounding his fist onto Riven's chest.

"Come on! Goddammit Riven! Breath dammit!" James said with a shaky voice. "You said that I wouldn't lose you! DON'T GO BACK ON YOUR WORD!"

James kept hitting Riven again and again, but she didn't wake up.

"G-GET UP!" He shouted.

"James…" Evelynn said approaching him.

"Riven!"

"Stop."

"Get up!" James repeated.

"James!"

"Come on Riven get up!" James said. He felt himself get pulled away by two lashers and he struggled to break free.

"James stop!" Evelynn said stepping in front of him. She had no tears in her eyes, but that also didn't mean she wasn't on the verge of spilling them. She looked back at Riven's body, grimacing at it. "You need to let her go."

"No…" James practically whimpered.

"She's gone."

Evelynn embraced him in a loving hug with him doing the same. It was very tense as James's breathing was hitched. Maddoc slowly walked over to Riven's body, giving it a once-over before taking her lifeless hand in his. "I'm so sorry Riven." He whispered.

With a sigh, Maddoc leaned in and pressed his forehead against The Exile's, closing his eyes as he took in the new reality.

"…"

"…"

Then, he felt a little grip return to his hand. The sound of someone gurgling was heard and Maddoc's eyes widened. He pulled away from Riven and saw that her mouth was moving, soon coughing up water.

"RIVEN!"

Maddoc moved his free hand to her side to help her up but Riven grabbed it first and he quickly pulled her up to a sitting position. What seemed like a stream of water came from Riven's mouth as she coughed it all up, sounding excruciatingly painful. James and Evelynn heard this, looking at the table with wide eyes.

"She's awake!" James shouted.

Finally, when Riven coughed up enough water, she gasped for fresh air as Maddoc held her up. James sprinted to the pair, gently patting Riven's back to get any more water out. Evelynn for the first time in a while smiled with joy and relief. She even gave Riven some assistance in regaining her whereabouts and senses.

"It's okay Riven. It's okay. We got you." Maddoc soothed. "You're okay."

The Exile slowly looked around, seeing familiar faces and she smiled with a little chuckle before resting her head on Maddoc's shoulder.

"I ever tell you guys how much I hate the water?" She asked tiredly.

James, Maddoc, and even Evelynn laughed at her words. They were beyond relieved to know that Riven was alive.

However, this was interrupted when they heard the overlapping voices of the guards that had investigated for any survivors. James quickly braced himself against the wall, his rifle primed and pressed against his chest. He peeked out of the windows, seeing several of Culda's troops surveying the area. Evelynn took position close to him, lashers ready as their edges glowed pink. Leblanc finally started to become conscious, groaning as she put her hand on her head.

"What's going on?" Riven asked finally getting off the table with Maddoc's help.

"We've got several of Culda's troops in the area. Checking for any survivors." James replied.

Outside on the docks, about four guards were looking around with their commanding officer surveying them.

"Any survivors?" The officer asked.

"Negative sir." A male guard replied. "I doubt anyone could've survived that artillery."

"Found something!" A female guard announced.

The officer turned to the female guard who was carrying an object. James kept his watch, narrowing his eyes through his red visor…

"Oh shit." He said as he came to a realization.

James didn't have his helmet on. It must've been knocked off during the explosion. He'd been so occupied with Riven that he didn't bother to look for it which was understandable. Leblanc came over to observe with James.

"This is just a helmet." The officer said. The female guard gestured to look inside. Upon doing it, the officer saw a name. Under his helmet, his eyes widened. _"J. Holland_? James… Holland."

"Sir we got something else over here!"

Two guards pulled a body bag out of the water. Leblanc's eyes widened, and she almost burst out the door when seeing it, but she restrained herself. The officer walked towards the bag, dragging the zipper down and soon wincing at the presented sight.

"Shit what the hell is that?"

The female guard leaned closer, examining the disfigured face. Despite the appearance, she recognized them.

"Oh wow, that's Elise, The Spider Queen." She claimed. "Or, well was anyway."

"Looks like Sion's death wasn't in vain after all." Another guard chimed in with a snicker.

Leblanc could feel anger build inside of her, James giving her a look not to go out and get herself killed. She calmed herself down as they kept looking.

"Abandon the search!" The officer said. "It's imperative that Culda sees this at once! Let her know that James Holland is no more along with Elise."

The guards did as they were ordered, choosing to leave the sight of the wreckage and disappearing out of James's sight. He took a breather with Leblanc clenching her fists in anger.

"Leblanc, calm down." James said.

"They took Elise's corpse!" Leblanc spat. "I will not allow her to be displayed as some kind of trophy on Culda's wall!"

"If you let your anger consume you, you'll likely be joining her as well." James retorted. "Now how about you focus on the more important manner of not getting yourself killed? We almost died because of you."

Leblanc glared, but she knew he was right. James did one last scan of what he could see before turning away from the door. Maddoc was locked in an embracement with Riven to keep her warm as she stopped shivering. He looked at Evelynn who shared her sympathy for Elise's body being taken, but she too didn't let that cloud over her.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two figures barged in. James immediately drew his sidearm and aimed it at the two women. They both put their hands up as James recognized them.

"S-Sorry!" He said a little embarrassed. "Thought you were some of Culda's guards."

"Don't worry Holland." Katarina said. "We're in the belly of the beast at this moment and it's always good to keep your guard up."

"Did anybody else make it?" James asked.

Katarina sadly shook her head as Sarah sighed with sadness. Rafen's words still echoed through her mind. She was the only one of her crew to still remain alive.

"Ah hell." James sighed. "Well we're here now, so we should make do with what we've got."

"Uh, honey?" Sarah said. "In case you haven't noticed, your psycho bitch Culda has fucking artillery cannons set up to shoot down any ship that gets close to Noxus! How much you wanna bet that she's got eyes all over this damn place?!"

"Well she can't have them everywhere!" James retorted. "She's likely busy with whatever was causing those explosions earlier."

"Can we really take that chance?" Miss Fortune asked.

"We don't have a choice." Riven chimed in. "We've come all this way for a reason. If you want to turn away then go ahead, but I believe in James. I'll be damned if I turn away from all of this just because of a hunch."

"Riven and James are right Sarah." Katarina said putting her hand on the woman's shoulder, Miss Fortune looking at The Sinister Blade. "I know Noxus, and even when Swain was in power, he didn't have a full view of the entire city. Not even with a sinister cult at his disposal." She said flashing a glare to Leblanc who scoffed.

"I know the best routes." Evelynn said finally speaking up. "I often um, "hung out" around Noxus, hunting with Elise regularly. She taught me the stealthiest routes to take, and with this thunderstorm occurring, it may even give us more cover."

"Where should we go? Before we can even think about taking Culda on, we're going to need a place to rest." Sarah said. "At least I will anyway."

"For once I agree with you." Maddoc said. "If we can get to my house, we'll be able to rest and stock up. I have some more uh… personal materials there that I could really use."

"I think my manor would be the better choice." Katarina said.

"Culda kidnapped Talon and Cassiopeia from there." Leblanc said. "It's the most obvious place to hide out in, not to mention it's likely ransacked."

"If Culda has her guards patrolling around here, the manor would be the last place she'd expect us to take shelter in." Riven said. "If it's ransacked already, she has no reason to check it."

"I'm gonna have to agree on that." Maddoc said. "My house isn't exactly the most secure place in Noxus."

"Then we're in agreement? We're going to the Du Couteau manor?" James asked.

Everyone did a reluctant show of agreement and James accepted it. Leblanc was seen heading for the door prompting James to call her out. The Deceiver turned around.

"I'm going to contact my allies within The Black Rose. See what the situation is and how we can buy you some time."

James nodded, and Leblanc exited the building. He turned back to his group, all of them seemingly waiting for his command. James felt his leadership as a Crimson Elite Commander course through his veins and he cleared his throat.

"Alright here's the plan. Riven, you and Maddoc go to his residence to retrieve his materials. Katarina, you and Sarah go to the manor and barricade yourselves in. Hold it until we get there." He said

"Actually James, I have a different plan." Katarina said. James tilted his head at her words and Miss Fortune was almost as equally surprised. "Remember the soldiers I told you that were loyal to me and my family? A majority of them reside in the Military Academy. If I can get in there and inform them of the truth, we'll have more allies on our side."

James sighed. "Katarina I don't think that's such a good idea." He said. "We can't risk you being captured."

"You really don't know just how much of an influence you have on Noxus do you?" She joked. "James, we have allies. There are people who still remember your legacy, your heroic acts as the Commander of the Crimson Elite. We just need to spread this message, and we'll have help. Trust me."

He again sighed, but with a conceded expression. Katarina smiled at him and she pulled him in for a tight hug which he returned without hesitation.

When they broke it, she looked at Miss Fortune who had a worrisome look. She looked at her twin guns, knowing that she'd be too rambunctious for Katarina's stealth. The bounty hunter grabbed Katarina in a fierce hug much to her surprise, but the Sinister Blades brought her arms up. She ran her hands down Sarah's damp hair.

"You better come back." She said breathily. "I'll be very mad if you don't."

"Don't worry. I will." Katarina whispered.

James finally turned to Evelynn. "Evelynn, I need you to lead me back to my home. I have a little... personal thing to wrap up."

Evelynn nodded with the others doing the same except for Riven. She approached James and looked at him with uncertainty. "You sure you wanna go there?"

James took a deep breath, knowing of what it will possibly hold for him. He straightened his posture. "Yes Riven. I am sure. I can handle it."

The Exile's brows furrowed, but she nodded and went back to Maddoc who handed Riven her blade. Miss Fortune chose to go with them which they didn't have a problem with. James walked to the door and opened it, stepping out into the rain. Evelynn came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him with the lashers doing the same. They disappeared out of sight with the others stepping out. They exchanged glances before setting off in opposite directions.

…

* * *

Swain was exhausted along with being drenched in a hefty amount of blood. His hair stood out though, even if it didn't exactly have the grey locks as visible. He was held down by a few guards.

He'd fought long and hard against Culda's forces, even with a sizable amount of Noxian soldiers at his back.

But despite what he had, it was an uphill battle that he was unable to win. Culda's forces had all but eliminated the opposition in the area. Only a total of five Noxian soldiers were still alive while Culda's forces remained superior in the numbers.

Minh stood in front of Swain, his cleaver stained red with his armor having splatters on it, but it was difficult to tell with the color of it. With the guards training their guns on the survivor's, Swain had little to no means of escape.

A carriage pulled up with some guards moving aside. Swain looked to it, expecting who was occupying it. The door opened up, revealing the one and only Culda Graves.

Donned in her full uniform, the woman's hair soon got stuck to her when she stepped into the downpour of rain, paying no mind to the dampness. She had on that usual cocky smile, pacing towards the defeated Noxian who dared to oppose her. Culda looked Swain and crouched down in front of him.

"Congratulations Swain, you've managed to not only destroy your own legacy, but you've also given me a good reason to execute you." Culda said in a condescending tone. "I'm surprised you finally chose to take action against me instead of just cowering in the shadows with that slut. You lasted longer than I expected. That's almost admirable."

Swain said nothing and Culda turned to Minh who was looking at Swain.

"What shall I do with this traitor, Madam Culda?" He asked.

"A simple execution is too good for him." Culda said. "Let's make sure that he's displayed as a reminder for those who oppose me to know the consequences of treason. As long as I'm the general, treason will not go unpunished. Take him away."

Minh nodded, and Swain was lifted to his feet, the guards dragging him towards a carriage that'll take him to prison until further notice. Culda gave a once over of Draven, smiling sadly.

"Oh Draven, you had so much potential." She sighed. "Unlike your brother, you were actually worthy of your title. It's a shame you let your own ego get in the way." Culda gestured to the guards holding the Noxian soldiers at gunpoint to fire without looking. She walked back to her carriage, but then heard a guard call her name. Culda turned around to see an officer with his fellow soldiers sprinting towards Culda with a bag in tow.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked.

"M-madam Culda! We opened fire on two ships that were sailing into Noxus!" The officer exclaimed, clearly out of breath from running. "We found no survivors, but we did find this! I thought you'd want to see it immediately!"

Culda raised a brow in question before stepping down with the officer unzipping the bag. She leaned down to the corpse and examined it with narrowed eyes. Despite the current situation, Culda made out who it was, and she grinned widely. The officer handed her an object which surprised Culda, and she examined it, inside and out. The interior was bloody, and her emerald eyes fell upon eight words that made her shocked.

**J. Holland**

Culda didn't say anything. She covered her mouth and started to laugh with it being muffled. She closed her eyes, the laughing becoming louder, and eventually, Culda threw her head back laughing maniacally as she put her hand on her forehead. She'd never been so certain of something in her life until this moment.

James Holland was dead.

Her celebration was cut short when another guard came running to her. She immediately showed annoyance and almost flat-out killed the man right there. "What is it?" She hissed.

"It's your troops at the academy madam!"

Culda suddenly remembered about what she had her messenger order the evening prior. She clenched her fists and threw the helmet down, stomping off to her carriage.

…

* * *

James stood in front of his house, or his former one anyway. He wasn't sure what he'd do after this, but he doubted he'd be living here regardless of the outcome. Evelynn was right by his side, holding his hand tightly. She remembered this place. How she and James exchanged glances during their first true encounter so long ago. James stepped forward with Evelynn following him. James opened the door, stepping inside of the house with Evelynn closing the door. He immediately felt warm, memories of him and Jade sharing this place for so long.

However, it felt smaller, and lonelier, despite Evelynn being by his side.

"James? Are you alright?" She asked.

He didn't respond. Evelynn allowed James to abandon her grasp. He walked over to the fireplace, Evelynn noticing dozens of pictures above with James and another woman. Some of them were silly pictures while others were of her and James embraced in each other's arms. The picture in the center of the shelf was one of James and the woman sharing a loving kiss. Evelynn felt a pinch of jealousy, but also envy, even minor guilt.

She'd taken all this away from him. While they were a couple now, Evelynn still felt a tinge of uncertainty whether James truly loved her. She saw him reach into his pocket and take out the picture he'd been hanging on to for the whole journey. James placed a kiss on it, his eyes glistening before he reached up and gently placed it with the other pictures.

It was like a makeshift memorial for Jade. All the memories he had with her, all the good times and bad times, just stocked up in here. And now, it was complete. Evelynn heard James sniffle and he wiped away a presumed tear. The succubus walked over to him, but James turned around with Evelynn stopping. His expression was difficult to read.

"I need to take a shower." He said before pacing away.

Evelynn was left alone in the room. She slowly paced towards the fireplace, taking the picture in her claws and observing it tensely. She ran two fingers along Jade's face, and then did the same with James. She envied them. She envied her.

"I'm sorry… I took him away from you…" She whispered, placing a hand where Jade was.

James stripped himself of his armor, letting it just spill out all over the floor without a care in the world. He took a good look at himself in the mirror, noticing how disheveled and long his hair had become. James took a deep breath and reached for a hair shaver, turning it on. He brought it to his hair and began to shave. Locks of brown hair fell into the sink, and by the time he was done, James's head held a buzz cut fade. The stubble along his oval-shaped chin complimented his new look well.

The man stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash all over him and getting rid of any hair strands that remained. He heard the door slide open, but James didn't bother to turn around to look even though he knew who it was. He felt a lasher encircle around his waist and James slowly turned around, half expecting to see a mischievous smile from Evelynn, but it wasn't what he thought.

Evelynn looked deeply into his eyes, practically staring into his very soul. She saw it was broken, shattered into millions of pieces. Evelynn looked down to his hands, wrapping her own around them, and she lifted them up gently.

_ **So close, no matter how far** _

_ **Couldn't be much more from the heart** _

_ **Forever trusting who we are** _

_ **And nothing else matters** _

Evelynn gently kissed James's fingertips, but it had a hint of passion. She felt his grip tighten in her hand, his fingers closing down over her palm. The same fingers that'd traced her body, every curve and scratch it had to offer.

_ **Never opened myself this way** _

_ **Life is ours, we live it our way** _

_ **All these words I don't just say** _

_ **And nothing else matters** _

Evelynn looked up into his eyes again, and she saw something that made her smile. She saw a fire within him. A flame that she'd come to love and cherish.

_ **Trust I seek, and I find in you** _

_ **Every day for us something new** _

_ **Open mind for a different view** _

_ **And nothing else matters** _

She leaned closer to him, and James met her in the middle. Their lips gently met in what was probably the most intimate and passionate kiss they'd had in a while. It was full of meaning that neither could comprehend. Their lips abandoned one another, both figures pressing their foreheads together for a moment of pure intimacy.

The thoughts of their current situation had all but faded. James and Evelynn wished they could stay in this position forever. James had a feeling this would be the last calm moment they'd share for the next while, and he savored every moment.

…

* * *

Culda remained unfazed as she examined the scene presented before her. The few guards present with her, Minh amongst them, also remained unfazed, but that was because of their helmets obstructing their expressions.

It looked like the massacre in the streets, but instead of it being a mixture of Culda's troops and former soldiers with civilians, it was mostly just her guards. A few pools of blood formed and there were certainly signs of a struggle. Bullet holes were ridden along the walls in a pattern like form, like they were trying to shoot something in the dark.

From what she assumed, the soldiers loyal to the Du Couteaus managed to subdue Culda's guards, and even stole their weapons. The soldiers loyal to her remained alive, but Culda wondered how they could've known she was coming.

Her emerald eyes fell upon a daggers silhouette embedded in a guards' body at the far end of the room. She paced towards it in a monotone-like fashion. Flies buzzed around the corpses, yet they mysteriously flew away when she passed them. Culda reached the body, and grabbed the dagger.

The Grand General's eyes widened and she felt her common temper begin to flare once more. The dagger's design was unique. Nobody else used them except for-

"_Du… Couteau…" _A raspy voice said.

Culda slowly brought the dagger down, turning to stare at a guard who was still alive, though seemed to be moments away from succumbing to her injuries. The name made it crystal clear who was responsible.

Katarina was still alive.

Then something else hit her.

If she came from the ships that were destroyed… and James's helmet washed up along the shore, then that could mean that Culda's celebration earlier may have been premature. The woman scowled, walking away from the dying guard who begged for help.

She threw the dagger at her without looking, effectively finishing her off. Culda would've normally lashed out, but now, she had another sinister idea. And she couldn't stop smiling.


	24. Taken

Riven, Maddoc, and Miss Fortune traversed the streets of Noxus. Sarah had never been in the city itself, but whereas most outsiders would be frightened by its look, the redhead wasn't very intimidated. The city had imposing structures, claustrophobic streets, steep-sloped walls, and immense gateways. It was built like a fortress which suited the Noxian symbol of strength appropriately.

It was still raining, but it wasn't a huge downpour compared to when they were shipwrecked at the docks. Riven gripped her blade tightly, Maddoc holding a sword with Miss Fortune keeping Shock and Awe primed.

Despite the expectation of meeting some resistance at most locations, the trio never stumbled upon one a patrol. Noxus was strangely quiet which began to make them a bit nervous. They finally came to a stop in an alley, catching their breath.

"How much further to your home honey?" Sarah asked panting.

"Only a few more blocks." Maddoc replied. "We're almost there."

Riven placed her blade's end on the ground, leaning on it for support as she caught her breath. The Exile looked around, seeing nobody in sight still. Not even the windows were lit up with amber lights in the interior. She stood back up, looking at Maddoc and Miss Fortune who stretched with satisfied groans. Riven's eyes fell upon a discolor in a stream of water seeping into the sewers on the street. She narrowed her eyes and cautiously paced towards it with her partners looking at her with confusion.

"Riven, what're you doing?" Maddoc asked.

"Quiet." She whispered before pointing to the discolored water. Their eyes also narrowed, and they readied their weapons. The trio slowly crept to the end of the ally, Riven stepping out first only to find herself soon wincing.

Four bodies were laying on the street. One was a man, one a woman, and the other two being two little girls, not old enough to be 10. Riven fell to her knees as Sarah chose to look away, feeling like she'd be sick. Maddoc grimaced at this, but also advanced on the bodies. He crouched down, examining their slit throats.

"These wounds are still fresh." He said before turning back to the two women. "Whoever did this isn't too far from here."

Miss Fortune cocked her pistols. "So, we're gonna have a detour and hunt down some cowards who have to feel big by killing children?" She said with anger evident.

Riven and Maddoc almost wanted to oblige, but they had more important matters. "No, we need to stick to the mission. Finding them will just get us killed." Maddoc said.

Miss Fortune sighed in defeat and lowered her weapons. A woman's bloodcurdling scream could be heard in another vicinity but overlapping shouts of Culda's guards drowned her out combined with another thunderclap. The trio tensed up.

"We need to move, now!" Maddoc warned.

They ran back into the alley and continued their journey.

...

* * *

Evelynn looked at James who was fully dressed again. He repaired his armor during the brief time he spent at his abode,

His forearms were armored with some exposure of the black body suit beneath. His shins and boots seemed to be more armored than before. James had on a pair of polarized tactical glasses along with the same mouthpiece and helmet. Evelynn couldn't help but smile at him.

"Did I ever tell how fucking sexy you look in that armor my dear James?" She purred, wrapping her arm around his far shoulder.

"No, because I just made adjustments." He snorted, resulting in Evelynn pouting and sticking her tongue out at him.

"Well, I do hope that the pants aren't any different." She cooed. One of Evelynn's lasher mischievously snaked around James's waist and pulled him closer where she yanked off the mouthpiece and pressed her lips against his. James's melted into the taste, relishing at his lover's aggressive move. She snuck a hand into his pants and got a firm grip on something big and hard. James moaned in response and Evelynn broke the kiss, moving down to his collarbone and nipping it with the man growling.

James's free hand went around to where Evelynn's lashers had come from and he grabbed them firmly, tugging on the tendrils with Evelynn whining and being pulled back. James smirked at his victory, leaning sensually close to Evelynn's gaping mouth.

"Later. Not now." He growled, sounding like a command even.

Evelynn let out a small whine, but she obliged and released what grip she had on him. James leaned down to pick up the mouthpiece, looking at his home one last time. He bit his lower lip, putting his hand where his heart would be, and then extended it to his home.

"Goodbye… Jade."

…

* * *

Culda stood in a cavernous room before hundreds of soldiers. They were loyal towards her and with the combined force of her personal guard, Culda believed that nothing could stop her, not after what she would be doing.

"Everyone in this room, every one of you, have been gathered here for simply one reason; you are true Noxians." Culda said. "You would not dare to defy me and wish to crush those who would even consider it. You may think we separated the strong from the weak with the academy, but that was not a true test. I have a little pinch that some of you still hold even a dash of support for the Du Couteaus or Swain."

She noticed some tension shift amongst the soldiers. She smirked at this.

"Do not fear, I will not have you killed. Not if you can endure what you will be witnessing tonight." She announced. "I have learned that Katarina Du Couteau has returned to the city! Of course, you all know that she's a traitor and wishes to dethrone me. Well, that's not going to happen. We will draw her out with Talon and Cassiopeia, hanging them for conspiring with such treason unless she confesses that she's a traitor herself! Swain tried to overthrow me with a coup, but it failed miserably! He will perish along with the Du Couteaus. All of you will be gathered there to see the hanging, and any who don't attend will be labeled as a traitor! Is that clear?!"

They all nodded in unison, Culda smiling at this.

"Excellent! All of you are dismissed and are to train throughout the remainder of the day until the hanging! After this is done, you will all be given new uniforms that are equal to that of Captain Minh here!" She said gesturing to Minh who stood with a straight posture, arms behind his back.

The soldiers took their leave from the room, Culda's guards watching them curiously with their rifles primed. She turned to Minh with her smile disappearing.

"I will not allow this task to be jeopardized. Minh, you and a quarter of my personal guard will be escorting me to retrieve the prisoners. It's become too obvious that I cannot rely on mere pawns to carry out such requests." Culda said.

Minh raised a brow, actually baffled. "Madam, you're really going to put your life on the line? For a simple escort?"

"Are you questioning my decisions as a leader?" She asked with malice.

"No… I'm only expressing my concern that this may result in your de-"

He was silenced by a kiss, Minh sinking into the feeling of her lips against his, their tongues exploring before Culda pushed him away. "Is that clear?" She demanded.

Minh's shoulders slumped in defeat with a sigh, but he nodded and took his leave.

…

* * *

"WHAT?!" A feminine voice shouted. It seemed to echo through the catacombs of The Black Roses headquarters.

"I'm telling you it was his choice! I told him not to do it! He said we haven't been taking appropriate action!" Vladimir's voice protested.

"AND YOU LET HIM GO?!" Leblanc retorted. This was very out of character for her. She never lost her temper, but this time she'd just exploded.

"The man's a damned fool!" Vladimir said. "Look where it got Elise when you sent her to handle Germez! Same thing happened to Swain!"

An audible slap sounded with Vladimir's grunt.

"Elise was killed by Sion you wretch." Leblanc seethed. "Sion was revived with the help of your blood sacrifice. I trusted you with the task to keep the dagger hidden, but it somehow fell into Culda's hands."

"Are you trying to shift the blame to me Evaine? Elise had the option to let Holland die! She should've let that happen!"

Another slap sounded. "Elise made her choice." She hissed. "I do not agree with it either, but what's done is done. Swain was right to take action… if only you weren't here cowering in your own mess."

"So what would you propose we do Evaine?" Vladimir asked with sarcasm. "Please… tell me your brilliant plan."

Leblanc's breathing was heavy. She finally spoke up.

"We fight."

…

* * *

The trio finally reached Maddoc's home. It wasn't luxurious or anything special, but the soldier didn't care for the wealth. As long as you had a roof over your head and a home you were comfortable with, you'd be fine. Miss Fortune and Riven watched his back as he grabbed the spare key he kept under the mat which Sarah found to be amusing for a Noxian. He unlocked the door, stepping in with Riven following first and Miss Fortune soon after. The redhead did a quick sweep of the area before closing the door.

"Ah, home sweet home." Maddoc said.

"Bet you never thought you'd see this place again eh sweetie?" Sarah asked.

"More or less." He replied.

"I never intended to see Noxus ever again." Riven added making the two of them chuckle.

"Alright, my supplies are upstairs in my bedroom." Maddoc said. "I'll be up there for a few minutes, so I think it's best if you two keep an eye out for any of Culda's guards."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Sarah said readying her pistols again.

Maddoc looked at Riven, kind of expecting her to say something, but she didn't. The Exile however, did grab his arm as he began to head upstairs. He looked at her, noticing the needy look in her eyes.

"Just… be careful." She said softly.

The man smiled and leaned in to give Riven a kiss which she didn't expect. She moaned softly, moving a hand up to his neck to prevent him from leaving. Sarah snorted with a smug look and that made the two of them break the kiss.

"Don't worry." He said equally as gentle.

Maddoc bolted up the stairs and left the two women alone. In her peripheral vision, Riven could see Miss Fortune's eyes not darting away from her. The Noxian tried to ignore it, but then she remembered something else. Maddoc told her that Sarah forced him to sleep with her. She forgot about it given that they had rare cases of breaks in the past days. Riven felt a pinch of annoyance ignite and she finally faced Sarah with a glare.

"You know something Riven honey? I think I can see why Maddoc was upset when he thought you were dead. You've got a nice stature that even attracts me." She said.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Why did you make him sleep with you?" Riven asked, sounding a little hostile.

"Oh relax." Miss Fortune said rolling her eyes. "It was just a mere fling to me. It meant nothing to me and it sure as shit meant nothing to him."

"That doesn't answer my question… slut." Riven retorted.

Sarah's brows knitted together and formed a glare. She took a step towards Riven who didn't flinch. "When you're born in Bilgewater and your parents are killed by a scum who answers to nobody but himself, you gotta do what you gotta do to get by. Old habits die hard sweetheart. I'm sorry that you see it differently."

Riven narrowed her eyes at Sarah who did the same. They held that position for a few moments before the redhead looked away.

"Besides, it's not like I've tried anything on him as of late." Sarah continued. "After we found you, I haven't even thought about getting into bed with him again… despite how good he was." Riven ignored the last sentence and Miss Fortune put her hand on the bandaged shoulder making the girl tense up. "So listen, when I say that I'm sorry I forced him to sleep with me, you know I mean it. Alright?"

Riven groaned and Miss Fortune paced away from her and went into the kitchen. Riven heard some rummaging and Sarah's inaudible readings of the presumed alcohol she was looking through. She made a sound of discovery that was pleasant.

"Garrison Tallship! The best beer in all of Bilgewater! Maddoc's got some good tastes." Sarah said.

The redhead came out with two bottles and carelessly threw one to Riven who caught it on instinct while having no intention to actually drink.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Well since we're in a city with a ruler whose more ruthless than Gangplank, I can't help but feel some tension, and nothing helps bring that tension down like a nice cold beer." Sarah said unscrewing the cap.

"We're gonna be leaving soon!" Riven shot back.

"Don't be a prude Riven." Miss Fortune said. "You need to loosen up more! Stop being so serious all the time. Besides, that beer will probably help you loosen up for what you know is best for you and Maddoc."

Riven cocked up an eyebrow at Sarah who took a hearty swig from her bottle. She blinked as the effects began to lightly kick in. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

Miss Fortune smiled sultrily. "Come, come Riven." She teased. "Think about it. You almost died from drowning, Maddoc barely manages to revive you, and now that you've both experienced almost dying, don't you think it's time you change your ways?"

The Exile still didn't get it. Sarah sighed and wiped her hand down her face.

"You and him have feelings for one another, right?" She asked, earning a slow nod from Riven. "Well, now you're both in a situation where one, or even both of you may be killed in. Don't you think it's good to release that urge within you? The urge to make love like it's the last day of your lives on this earth?"

Riven blinked and a blush lined her cheeks. Sarah winked at her and took another sip.

"Well… I…" Riven stammered.

"Your hesitation makes it more evident sweetie. You're considering it and after that happens, there's practically no going back." Miss Fortune continued. "Come on, do it!"

The Exile was certainly against it with her body language, but her mind was the opposite. She remembered the look in Maddoc's eyes when she regained consciousness. How his expression showed that he seemed to be looking at the most precious thing in the world. She looked at the bottle, slowly unscrewing the top with a hiss escaping the confines. Sarah smiled when she took a small gulp.

"There we go. Give in Riven. Sex is a natural part of everyone's life. It's normal to feel that way for people, but it's certainly abnormal to ignore those urges." Miss Fortune stated. "I'm sure Maddoc will return the same feelings."

Riven sighed. It felt quite inappropriate to do such a thing, especially with the circumstances. She sighed in defeat as she made her choice, and in a single gulp, down the whole drink to Sarah's astonishment. She wiped the fluid off her lips, and she looked at Sarah who gave a nod.

"Do you think you'll be alright standing guard by yourself?" Riven asked.

"Absolutely!" Sarah said proudly. "Don't worry about a thing. Just try to keep it down. Don't need guards drawn to the sound of people doing it now."

Riven rolled her eyes and slowly parted from the redhead who kept smiling. Riven put her hand on the railing, taking a deep breath before going up the stairs. Sarah turned around, keeping an eye out for any guards through the windows.

The Exile felt her heart race as she kept pace. She knew she shouldn't do this as they were in literal enemy territory, but the danger made it ever so more… arousing. When she reached the bedroom, the door was half-way open and Riven put her hand on it, taking one last inhale before pushing it open and stepping in. She immediately saw Maddoc at the end of the room, putting supplies into a large bag when he abruptly turned around, his weapon aimed at Riven who looked at him deadpanned. Maddoc lowered the sword, surprised to see Riven up here.

"Riven? What're you doing up here?" He asked resuming his task.

Riven said nothing as she silently closed the door, hearing the knob click into place with Maddoc hearing it. She put her hands at her front, looking like a teenager who was about to ask her crush out. She cleared her throat. "Sarah's watching the doorway, keeping an eye out for any threats. She said I should come up here to join you."

Maddoc raised a brow in question. "What do you mean?"

The girl walked to the bed, sitting down on it and patting the spot next to her for Maddoc to sit on. The man hesitantly did, and he didn't break his gaze from Riven's as he did. "So?"

"Maddoc… when you thought I was dead. When you thought I wouldn't get back up, what did you feel?" Riven asked.

He processed her words and considered his. What did he feel when she seemingly drowned? When he did everything in his power to revive her, and felt nothing work? Could he even describe it?

"I felt like… I was in the hospital again." He said grimly. "Like… I was losing you all over again, only this time, it was at my own hands. My whole world just fading away into nothingness. An endless void of despair, regret, and torment. The feeling that this was all just a bad dream and not reality. Like… the final nail in a coffin."

Riven felt something wet slide down her face. She didn't bother to wipe it. She got off the bed, kneeling in front of Maddoc where it matched his sitting position on the bed and put her hands on his shoulders. Maddoc looked at her with a grim face. She smiled with sorrow.

"But you see, that didn't happen. We're still alive, you and me." Riven said. "We've endured the toughest challenges that a Noxian could have."

"But how much longer will we survive?" Maddoc asked, sounding doubtful. "How long until one of us leaves this world permanently?"

"Oh Maddoc." Riven cooed. "I know that you're afraid, but it's not of dying… it's of losing a loved one." He sighed, looking sorrowfully at her. "Death is a path that we all must take. Some take it early in life, other's take it when they're old and grey. When this is over, it's possible that one of us will have taken that path."

Riven's hands took Maddocs, bringing them up to their chest level. He looked at her with an even height.

"But you know what I'm afraid of?" She asked. "It's leaving this world with regrets. I have many, many regrets. But at this very moment… if there was one thing I could do… it would forever cover my past regrets."

"And… what is that?"

Riven looked at him with a weak smile before suddenly tackling him and crashing her lips into his. Maddoc fell back fully onto his bed as Riven's tongue explored his mouth. For a brief moment, he matched her actions, but soon sat up and forcefully ended it.

"Riven?!" He exclaimed. "What're you doing!?"

The Exile sighed, almost wanting to back down, but she refused to. Her tenacity grew, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Maddoc, you mentioned regret when you thought I was gone. What exactly was that regret?" She asked.

The regrets were countless things, but he knew the most obvious one. He could see it in her eyes. She did almost die, and when you're given a second chance, you often don't want to waste it. He put her hands around her neck with a focused look.

"Riven… are you sure about this?" He asked. "We are supposed to rendezvous at the manor with the others. I'm not sure doing this is a good idea."

"We may not get another chance Maddoc." She replied. "Besides… there's no time like the present. I want this."

He could've countered her weak argument, but he didn't care for that. When was the last time they'd have the chance for this? Not to mention they were both under a lot of stress and there'd be no better way to release it than right now. His hands parted from her neck, one going to her back and the other in her snowy hair. He pulled her in for a passionate kiss which Riven matched immediately.

"Fuck it." He thought.

The Exile blinked once before feeling Maddoc gently shove her against the wall, pressing his mouth against hers.

Their tongues danced with soft moans from Riven. Her hands went around to his waistline, finding the end of the shirt and pulling it upwards. Maddoc's hands started to make their move, going to Riven's sides. His left tracing her curves and moving around to her plump backside while his right drew up her spine and tangled itself into her white hair. Their kiss broke when Riven finally pulled Maddoc's stop off, revealing his 3-packed stomach.

They came together in another kiss, their tongues swirling and dancing like they couldn't get enough of one another. The remainder of Riven's robes came off and the kiss broke apart when she finally yanked off her corset, throwing it aside unceremoniously. Her modestly sized bust was revealed while what counted as her legwear had come off fully. She was only in a pair of sandals now and Maddoc felt himself practically lose control. He slammed her back into the wall, kissing her with Riven moaning from the impact. She ignored the feeling of the wood against her bare back, too engulfed in lust and desire. He kissed her breasts, cupping them gently with the result of the girl's back arching slightly with a gasp.

The man's hands went down to Riven's nice round ass, giving it a good squeeze and loving the doughy feeling. The Exile threw her head back with a moan. Maddoc gave her rear a nice spanking, seeing waves ripple across the flesh from the impact. Riven's hands traced Maddoc's exposed torso, feeling every corner and ridge he had to offer. Then she went to the waistline, struggling to unbuckle his pants through their fervid kissing.

Finally, she managed to undo it and Maddoc helped by pushing down the legwear, allowing his bulging member to be revealed. Riven's crimson pupils met it and she was surprised at its size. The Exile roughly gripped Maddoc's head, bringing their passionate kissing to another stop. She looked into his eyes with lust, Maddoc almost thinking he could see them blaze up briefly.

"Scratch those earlier words Maddoc." She said with a little breathy voice. "Prove your love to me. I want you to fuck me raw."

Maddoc officially lost all control at that point, crashing into Riven's lips with their tongues wrestling for control. Riven hoisted herself up and Maddoc's hand followed appropriately, gripping her athletic ass with both hands. Riven hooked her legs around Maddoc's back and latched on, effectively locking her in place. She then cupped his cheek and they shared another kiss. Maddoc guided himself to her entrance and thrusted deep inside. Riven shot up from the hard thrust, a louder gasp escaping as she closed her eyes.

Riven threw her head back, enjoying the feeling of him filling her completely and utterly as she moaned and gasped, her body heating up like it was on fire. She began to gyrate her hips, making wave-like motions with her lower body as she took him in, getting even more friction as Maddoc grunted, squeezing the flesh of her rear tighter. She gritted her teeth, digging her fingers into his back that had become sweaty.

The Exile's grip on Maddoc grew tighter with each thrust he gave. She could feel something building inside of her, and each thrust made it grow more and more. Then, it suddenly all converged and Riven let out a silent, almost pitiful scream as she closed her eyes, mouth agape all the while. She reached her climax and felt waves of pleasure flow through her body down to her entrance. Maddoc didn't let up on his pounding, leaning to Riven's now sweaty neck and kissing it fervidly as she winced.

"R-Riven… I'm getting clo-"

"Let it out." Riven replied in a strained voice. Her hands had dug themselves deeper into his body, drawing minor amounts of blood which Maddoc paid no mind to. "Fill me with your warmth. I want to feel… you inside of me…"

He didn't say anything else. Maddoc continued to pound away at Riven, her juices on his cock making it easier to slide in. Suddenly, Maddoc stopped and he groaned. With one final thrust, he went as deep as he could into Riven's womanhood, her walls hugging it as tight as possible. The tip throbbed, and he released warm white fluids deep inside her. Riven closed her eyes, moaning once more as she felt him fill her up.

The sounds in the bedroom changed to little gasps, both lovers now laying on the bed with Riven on top of Maddoc. They shared a breathless collection of kisses, each one not lasting more than a moment as they kept separating to inhale air for their sore lungs. Neither of them could get enough of the other ones' taste.

…

* * *

James and Evelynn snuck through the streets. Luckily for him, Evelynn didn't completely destroy the mask, so James repaired it as best as he could. It was still raining as the couple kept traversing along the narrow streets.

"Noxus has never been so quiet." James stated. "Is it as quiet as it was during your hunts?"

Evelynn giggled in response. "It really is love. I kind of like it. A different perspective given the time of day."

"As lovely as that sounds..." James said with a hint of sarcasm. "…it's not a good sign. We could run into trouble at any moment."

"Good thing I like trouble." Evelynn purred.

The couple turned around another block, seeing the shape of the manor in the distance. James took a few breaths given that it seemed further away than it was. As he and Evelynn were about to continue, a few familiar sounds of horse clops were heard in the distance. James picked up the sound soon after. It was difficult to tell which direction it was coming from, but the clopping grew louder each passing moment.

James and Evelynn finally pinpointed the source and saw numerous carriages traversing down the street towards their block. James's mind abruptly went into a panic, unsure of what to do, but Evelynn quickly wrapped her lashers around him and with great force, leaped onto a roof and out of the sight of the carriages. He calmed himself down, looking at Evelynn with a nod which she smiled at. The horses came to a stop, catching their attention again. Had the driver's seen them? James's grip on his rifle tightened, but despite the likely scenario, they were in the clear.

Culda's guards dismounted from the transports, wielding their usual weapons. James counted them, being no more than 12 guards that included the drivers. Both him and Evelynn considered just leaving the situation, but then two more figures emerged from the carriages. A large man on onyx armor reminded Evelynn of the brief exchange on the boat, but for James, it was the other one.

His eyes fell upon a figure who was dressed in a black cloak. It seemed to be a woman by the figure. He narrowed his eyes, growing suspicious. She didn't reveal her face and soon disappeared inside the building with a few guards in tow.

"James?" Evelynn asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Everything okay?"

He didn't reply.

…

* * *

Miss Fortune continued to watch through the window. She'd heard some banging upstairs earlier and assumed that the couple was likely just resting at this point. She smiled, taking another sip of her third beer. When she brought her head down, she saw a few figures on the streets. Sarah immediately tensed up, moving forward behind the couch to avoid being potentially seen. The redhead opened up the window to hear the dialogue of the three soldiers, one of them being a woman and the other men. One of them advanced on another house and knocked on the door.

Sarah narrowed her eyes, and then heard a woman's scream. The guard that went to the door yanked a spear from a woman's hand and grabbed her shoulders, unceremoniously throwing her down the walkway to the house with audible hits. Miss Fortune felt her anger quickly surface, priming Shock and Awe as the woman was dragged forward.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed.

"MOMMY!"

Sarah, and the guards, looked to see a child looking out at the scene. The guard's exchanged a few words before the woman and man advanced to the doorway with the child running back inside given his mother's words. The guard's followed them in. Miss Fortune had seen enough, not even bothering to warn Riven and Maddoc about the situation. This was all too familiar to her.

The redhead exited the house hastily, becoming wet again in the rain. The male guard holding the sobbing woman got a sinister idea.

"You know; I think we should show your child just how much of a bitch you are." He snarled. "Let's get those fucking clothes off."

"W-What?!"

"You heard me!" He growled.

The guard tangled his gloves into her drenched clothes and ripped them open, revealing her chest with the woman begging him to stop. Just as he was about to go further, a hand grabbed his neck and twisted it with a snap. The guard hit the ground lifelessly and the shivering woman looked up at her presumed savior.

"You alright?" Miss Fortune asked helping her up.

"Do I look like I am?" The woman asked. She was likely scarred from the actions. She looked at her home in alarm. "My baby! He's still in there!"

Miss Fortune followed the woman's look. She held up her pistols. "Don't worry, I'll save him."

"Please… don't let him die."

"He's not gonna die." Sarah replied. "Stay here."

The redhead quickly went inside the house, bracing herself against the wall and scanning the interior. A thunderclap happened outside, and Sarah raised her weapons, ready to shoot. She found nothing on the first floor and cautiously went upstairs. Miss Fortune looked into a nearby bathroom, but then heard rummaging not too far. Tensing up, she braced against the tiled walls and held her guns tight.

A line of sweat trailed down her side.

The redhead then heard quiet whimpering and saw the child hiding in the bathtub. She narrowed her eyes and saw that he was pointing a trembling finger at the doorway. Sarah peeked out, seeing the guards tearing apart the child's room to find him.

"Hey." She whispered. "Shh."

Sarah inched closer to the doorway, slowly bringing up both pistols. However, she didn't notice that Awe was dangerously close to a glass cup, and when the gun touched it, a clink sounded.

Miss Fortune froze, cursing to herself and praying to the Gods above that the guards didn't hear it.

They did.

She heard approaching footsteps and took a deep breath.

Miss Fortune fired her guns at the guards who rolled to take cover behind a wall. The woman drew a hextech pistol and the man took out a sword.

Sarah's heart was racing, and she put aside one of her guns. The guard slowly approached the bathroom, and when they looked in, they saw the child. However, Sarah abruptly appeared from the side and grabbed the woman's gun, using her own gun to shoot their abdomen. The bullet pierced through the flesh, drawing a splash of crimson with the female guard clutching the wound. When Sarah raised to shoot again, the woman grabbed her weapon wielding arm with Sarah shooting the ceiling.

Miss Fortune freed her hand and elbowed the guard in the face with them dropping their weapon and aimed to shoot. However, the guard was quicker and grabbed the gun-wielding hand, shoving it down with one and sending a right hook in Sarah's cheek which made her reel back with a spin. The female guard tried to tackle Sarah, but she parred it and grabbed their neck, pushing them with great force against the male guard who just arrived. Trapping the female between her and him, Sarah kicked the sword out of the man's hand and then kicked his groin. He fell down the stairs while the female guard pushed back against Sarah, pinning her against a wall where she sent two swift hits before Sarah swung around and threw her onto the floor with the helmet falling off.

The male guard charged up the stairs and clubbed Sarah to the floor. He then clumsily tried to stomp her with his boot that Sarah rolled to avoid. When he tried to elbow her, Miss Fortune blocked it and sent a hit to his kidneys. Throwing off his helmet, Sarah sent three swift strikes to his face and then kneed his stomach. Pushing him away, Sarah sent a kick to his torso and he tumbled down the stairs

The female guard tackled Sarah down and they landed on the man. She showed no mercy and threw her down the second part of the stairs where Sarah crashed into the wall with a grunt.

"Ahhh." She groaned.

Sarah watched the female guard limp down the stairs, clutching the bullet wound and almost collapsing beside the redhead. She growled, and Miss Fortune raised her arm to block a kick but couldn't stop a punch that slammed her into the wall with a dent. The woman slammed her against the other one, but Sarah's palms softened the impact. The next punch was easily blocked, and Miss Fortune sent a punch to the bullet wound.

The female guard let out a pained yell as her wound was hit. Sarah panted heavily and sent more hits which made the guard groan. She tried to lunge forward, but Sarah sent a heeled foot to her torso and knocked her flat on her stomach. The woman was croaking and could barely move. Miss Fortune was about to finish her off when she heard a yell and turned to see the male guard throwing a vase at her. She ducked to avoid it with it shattering on the wall. The man drew a switchblade and Sarah quickly ran down the stairs with him in pursuit.

Gripping the knife in his hand, the man swiped at Miss Fortune who avoided it, managing to cut her the second time, but on the third lunge, he overshot, and Sarah grabbed his wrist. She yelled as she yanked it down and rolled in the opposite direction of the hand which resulted in the man being forced to follow. Miss Fortune snatched the knife from its owner and swiped at his thigh. The guard exclaimed, and Sarah began to repeatedly stab him in the back eliciting more pained cries.

With a feral cry, Miss Fortune embedded the blade into his chest and his put one hand on hers to yank it out while pressing his other one against her mouth. The man's cries were pitiful as he tried to get free of her grip, but Sarah was stronger than she looked. He began to lose blood and his grip loosened.

The female guard, who had very little energy left from her blood loss, charged Miss Fortune and sent a weak punch to her gut. Sarah easily turned the tide, slamming the woman against the wall before pushing her down harshly onto the floor.

Now exhausted and panting deeply with a bruised face, Sarah watched the female guard slowly get back up. She struggled to stand, having lost a majority of her blood and her hands were covering the wound. Any adrenaline she had left was gone, and with a shaking, tall posture, she fell over dead. Sarah put her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths and putting her hands over a few wounds. She heard a groan and saw the man weakly walking to her, the knife raised to strike. He lunged predictably at Sarah who didn't need any effort to dodge. She twisted his arm and sent his knife-wielding hand to his neck, stabbing him and effectively finishing him off.

Miss Fortune slumped against the wall, sliding down it as she let out a sigh of relief. She remembered the reason she came in here, and she groaned getting up. She walked back up the stairs, picking up her gun that she lost during the fight and when reaching the bathroom, she found the child still there. They looked at her with fearful eyes and Sarah huskily chuckled. She put her guns back into their holsters and paced towards the boy.

"Shh, it's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you." She soothed. "The bad people are gone, it's okay."

The boy was trembling, but he seemed to become calmer when Miss Fortune put her hand on his shoulder. She picked him up, using her arm as leverage for his bottom while her other hand held his back.

"Come on, let's go find your mother."

Miss Fortune carried him down the stairs, shielding the boy's eyes so he didn't have to see the corpses. When she reached the doorway, Sarah was surprised to see that Riven and Maddoc just ran up with the woman behind them. They were both tense, expecting to have someone to fight.

"What the hell happened?" Maddoc asked.

Miss Fortune chuckled at this, choosing to give the child back to their mother who was beyond thankful. Riven and Maddoc peered in to see the bodies of Culda's guards.

"What the hell took you two so long?" She joked.

Riven immediately blushed when Sarah winked at her. Maddoc was a little confused and chose not to think about it. He offered to patch up Sarah's wounds, but she refused.

"No, it's nothing I can't handle." She said. "We should keep moving."

…

* * *

James hadn't moved from the spot at all. It began to rain a bit heavier and grew a little foggy, but James had fixated his gaze upon where he last saw the cloaked figure. Evelynn was bored, leaning back leisurely as she let her love gaze tensely.

Then, he finally saw movement.

Three figures were being escorted out by Culda's guards, though they were pushed down the stairs instead. One seemed to be half a serpent lady, the other a man in a tattered blue uniform with a cape, and finally… James saw a familiar face.

"Swain?"

Cassiopeia, Talon, and Swain were being escorted to the carriages. They all appeared to be beaten with a few guards hitting Cassiopeia to get a rise out of Talon who struggled fiercely. Swain showed no emotion.

The cloaked figure finally emerged, James's gaze instantly being drawn to them. Narrowing his eyes, he saw the figure finally take off their hood.

Hair as dark as coal was revealed, soon getting soaked in the rain, emerald eyes that were probably greener than Katarina's, and finally… a familiar looking… pretty face.

"Culda?" James whispered.

The woman was shouting at the prisoners, particularly Talon. She bereted Swain and didn't even look at Cassiopeia. She ordered them to be put into the carriages before conversing with her guards. James felt anger build inside him as his skin seemed to grow warm. He reached for his gun, taking aim with Evelynn getting up from her position.

"What's going on love?" She asked.

"Shh." He whispered.

James trained his sights on Culda who had her back turned to him. He growled, wanting to make this very personal and satisfying. He wanted to shoot that bitch right in the face, making her pay for what she did to Jade.

"Come on... turn around." He said in a slow, deadly voice.

Culda continued to converse with her guards before finally turning around, one hand behind her back while looking at her other one. James took a deep breath, steadying his aim and his finger prodded the trigger. Just as he was about to shoot, Culda's gaze fixated upon him.

James froze.

Her emerald eyes stared into his very soul. They could probably freeze the depths of hell. The woman put on a wolfish grin and narrowed her eyes.

She'd seen him.

James pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed through his mind and he closed his eyes briefly, soon opening once more, expecting to see a splat of blood from where Culda had been.

She was still standing.

Culda had put a barrier around herself. James's bullet was embedded in it, directly in front of her temple where it'd have been shot. Culda's grin grew crazed and she brought her other hand up. There was a red sphere and James's eyes widened.

"WATCH OUT!" Evelynn shouted.

Culda commanded the sphere to fly to the roof, and James felt Evelynn's lasher grab him. She leaped into the air, but it was too late. The area exploded and sent the two of them soaring through the air and soon downward.

…

* * *

James groaned as he regained consciousness. His vision was hazy and his mind in a state of disarray. James crawled for a few moments before managing to stand up.

However, he was immediately grabbed by two figures and yanked forward where they threw him onto the ground, soon beginning to kick him repeatedly. James felt adrenaline kick him and he grabbed the foot in front of him, using his position to throw them over into the other kicker. They landed with a grunt and James scrambled to his feet. Immediately he was hit from behind, but he elbowed them back and then grabbed their legs, lifting them up that resulted in the guard falling flat on her back. James yanked the helmet off and sent heavy blows into the female guard's face.

Despite his best efforts, James was lifted off the woman and slammed into one of the carriages. He began to get brutally beaten from all directions before a voice commanded them to stop. Soon, he found himself face to face with Culda Graves who was smirking at him.

Neither of them said anything. James's mind told him to kill the bitch right here, but his body didn't seem to get the message. Perhaps it was because he was surrounded, but James figured he could kill her easily beforehand.

"Ah James…" Culda finally said, cooing actually. "You know… I always had a feeling you'd come crawling back to me. No man can resist me after all."

"I'm going to kill you." He seethed.

"Hmm, I suppose that's why you had me right in your sights… yet couldn't bring yourself to pull the trigger." Culda purred. "You should've killed me when you had the chance. But you couldn't. Not me. Not a woman you've loved."

"I'm sorry you see it that way." James retorted. "It's laughable how you rose to power in Noxus. You're no different from Darkwill. You're just more corrupted and psychotic than he was."

Culda's smirk disappeared. James could tell she was trying to suppress her anger. She soon smirked suggestively and leaned closer to James's ear. Her guards became more cautious and protective.

"I'll never forget how wonderful it was." She whispered. Her hands began to glow with their magic, and Culda gripped James's arms tightly as smoke began to emit. "The taste… the feeling… the lust…"

James began to feel the burning pain, and he winced, weakly looking at one of his arms that was smoking significantly now. He saw that Culda had on a savage looking grin, her emerald eyes flashing as the pain kept growing. James tried to resist the pain, but eventually… he began to scream.

"YES! YES!" Culda screamed in an orgasmic voice.

At the time she screamed, some screams from her guards could also be heard. Culda caught onto this and turned her head to her left, the guards with her aiming their weapons in the same direction. She saw some blood get splattered on the walls with a feral, inhumane sounding roar happen. Pieces of presumed flesh were thrown that way with more sounds of dying guards.

James knew who it was.

Minh was thrown against a stone wall, groaning as he slowly got back up with his axe lying beside him. His helmet had come off in the process. What seemed like an apparition charged against him. Culda ordered her guards to open fire on it which resulted in the figure taking cover. James sprang to his feet, snatching a gun from the female guard and soon shot her. He shot down another one but was tackled by the third guard. He head-butted the guard and grabbed his neck, snapping it. James got to his feet but was pushed against the carriage by Culda herself.

"Let me show you how to properly kill a lover." She said.

Culda took out her Hextech pistol, James quickly grabbing it to prevent it from traveling any further. Culda only grinned, pulling the trigger and shooting the lower left of James's torso. The bullet pierced through, James yelling loudly. He chose to yank Culda's arm forward and then kneed it with her dropping the gun. Culda turned the tables, lunging forward with them both landing on the ground.

Minh heard his Grand General's struggles and was about to intervene, but he heard a whip-like sound and jumped back to avoid a lasher that embedded itself into the wall. He didn't bother to meet the creature's gaze, grabbing the tendril and yanking it forward where he sent a heavy blow to them.

"I'm going to do to you what Sion did to Elise." He said with venom.

Evelynn growled at the mere mention of Elise and she lunged at Minh. He grabbed her mid-jump and chose to lunge forward with them both landing on the ground, Evelynn taking the brunt of the impact. He kept a firm grip on her lashers and began to send strikes to her face.

The Agony's Embrace retaliated with embedding her claws into one of Minh's arms. He undoubtedly felt this, but he only looked at where she'd done the action. Evelynn's brows furrowed in confusion, and when Minh looked back at her, he only gave a sinister grin. Retreating her claws, Evelynn stabbed his chest, Minh letting out a vocal reaction, but he soon chuckled huskily.

Hissing at him, Evelynn scratched his face which resulted in Minh groaning painfully, his grip loosening on Evelynn's lashers. She kneed his groin and then used the lashers to throw him against a wall. Minh staggered across the ground to grab his axe, managing to grab it, but Evelynn sent her lashers to him and managed to bypass the armor on his foot, effectively penetrating it with the lasher.

"AAAH! YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He shouted.

With a loud cry, Minh grabbed the lasher again and used it to swing Evelynn into the same stone wall. She groaned and spat out a little blood, Minh approaching her and dragging the axe.

"I owe you an unpleasant death, demon." He growled.

Minh raised his axe and brought it down, but Evelynn used both her lashers to par it. She gestured with her hand and a hate spike popped up from the ground forcing Minh to move back. He steeled his courage, charging Evelynn and their weapons clashed.

James began to choke Culda after finally gaining an upper hand in their struggle, but the woman put her hands on his arms. She muttered a few choice words and again, James began to feel his arms get burnt. He tried to keep his grip tightened on her neck, but it was too much, and his hands loosened. That was all Culda needed to kick him off her and she pounced on him, pressing her burning fingers against his bullet wound. James let out a blood-curdling scream and spun around with them both falling down. Culda's grip loosened and James elbowed her stomach several times before she truly let go. He hoisted Culda to her feet, soon sending a blow to her that knocked her against the carriage with her getting a bloody nose.

James sent another punch, but Culda ducked down and tackled him. They both fell down, but James managed to press his feet against her stomach, throwing Culda over him with her rolling quite the distance. He charged her but stopped in his tracks when realizing that she'd retrieved her hextech gun, and she pointed it at him while panting heavily. The distance between them was too far to close before he'd be shot dead and Culda knew this.

"You know James…" She said out of breath. "…I was always better."

Suddenly, a wisp was heard in the air, and Culda felt an abrupt pain in her hand. It'd been penetrated by a golden chain, and blood began to quickly leak out. Instead of screaming, Culda only grunted painfully and saw the chain retreat, following the object to where it originated from. Her emerald eyes met the amber orbs of Leblanc, donned in her Ravenborn outfit. Behind her were a few other Black Rose members, including Vladimir who was in his Blood Lord uniform.

Culda wasn't intimidated at all. She smirked.

"So, come to save your precious boyfriend eh?" She sneered. "Well you can have him, after his hanging for treason!"

The blood leaking from Culda's hand was amplifying her abilities and her hand dropped the gun, glowing red with sinister power. Leblanc, Vladimir, and the other members blasted their magic at Culda who blocked it with a large, red barrier. She uttered a few choice words and blasted the party with a red beam of energy with them being forced to jump aside, becoming separated.

Culda laughed triumphantly at her attack and turned to see James leaning against the carriage, putting pressure on his wound. She prepared to fire more magic, but felt golden chains wrap around with her being choked. Culda blasted Leblanc and took a few deep breaths, holding her throat in the process.

She cursed under her breath. She was outnumbered. She'd have to kill James another time

"DAMMIT! MINH, WE'RE LEAVING!" She shouted.

She cut her losses and retreated to the carriage that housed her three prisoners. A few guards were still alive inside, though they were cowering instead given who Minh was fighting. Culda pushed aside the dead driver, soon commanding the horses.

Evelynn, who'd been fighting Minh for an extended amount of time, was quite tired with Minh in the same state. He'd heard Culda's commands and saw that the carriage was moving. Evelynn saw this too, and with Minh taking notice of that, he got an idea. Evelynn was actually about to attack Culda, but Minh was quicker. He threw aside his cleaver, tackling the succubus down and pressing his full body weight onto her. Evelynn exhaled with pain, squirming to get free from Minh, but he was too big and strong.

"You're coming with us." Minh whispered with venom. "Culda will certainly get good use out of you."

Before she could speak, Minh placed his hand over her entire face, cutting off her air supply. Evelynn's claws instinctively went up to his arm, digging as deep as she could into his flesh, hoping for some kind of reaction or loosening of his grip.

But all Minh felt was a tickle.

"JAMES!" Evelynn managed to sputter before Minh cut her off.

The voice of the woman seemed to echo into James's mind like a thunderclap. He looked at the carriage, and then at the man who was sprinting towards it, soon jumping on. James's eyes widened.

"No."

He started to chase the carriage down, unconcerned for the amount of blood that was leaking through his wound.

"Evelynn!" He shouted. "EVELYNN! NO!"

The carriage seemed to get smaller and smaller, no matter how much of an effort James put into his running. His panting was ragged, and he started to slow down.

"Holland! Stop!" Leblanc's voice called out.

James kept running and running until the carriage went out of his sight. He soon stopped, falling to his knees as his shoulder's slumped. Leblanc and the others soon rushed to his aid, The Deceiver kneeling down beside James and putting her hand on his chest. James only remained there on his knees, soon whimpering, and eventually breaking down into despair.

He'd lost Evelynn.

He felt like history was repeating itself.

First, he lost Jade to Culda, and now, it seemed like he'd lose Evelynn to the same woman. The woman who took everything from him.

"No… not again… I'm not... losing you."


	25. That Doesn't Make You A Ruler

"_Wake up."_

Those were the first words Evelynn heard as she finally began to regain consciousness. The first thing she knew was that she was undeniably trapped. Her arms and legs were held against the wall by magical straps which were likely used to not let her use her abilities. One would expect to see a dark dungeon, but instead, she was in a dark bedroom with dark purple carpeting and purple silken sheets on the bed. When her vision finally came to, she found herself looking at a woman with raven black hair and emerald eyes, though one was covered by a few strands of hair. When their eyes met, the woman grinned.

"Rise and shine." She said with a sing-song voice.

Evelynn felt anger surge through her body and she scowled, grunting against her bounds as Culda chuckled. Evelynn tried to move her lashers, but they'd been shackled pretty securely so it was no use. After that, the succubus felt something else, like something being injected into her body. Evelynn looked at her right arm, seeing that a tube had been injected into her veins. It seemed to be extracting blood from her and into a vial being held by an alchemist.

"All the vials are almost complete madam Culda." He said. "Are we certain she can produce enough without succumbing to blood loss?"

Culda kept her eyes firmly glued to Evelynn who kept glaring. "Don't worry, I'm sure we have more than enough. Can't hurt to have too much just in case."

The man nodded, filling up the next vial with more of Evelynn's blood. The succubus had never experienced blood loss before so this feeling of tiredness was very foreign to her. Culda pressed her hands on her knees, standing up straightly. She approached the tired yet angry succubus.

"Oh Evelynn." Culda said, sounding like a disappointed mother talking to her daughter. "You know… to see that you and James are apparently a couple, based on the way he tried to save you earlier, it absolutely baffles me. Seems like that man can even get into the hearts of the cruelest creatures in the world. I don't know how he does it."

Evelynn didn't respond. She was tired, and Culda bit her lip. After the alchemist finished filling up another vial, she had him leave the room with the tools, leaving Culda and a still bound Evelynn alone. The Grand General paced around the room as Evelynn's body slowly regained its energy. Eventually, Culda squatted down in front of Evelynn, slapping her to get her attention. The succubus spat at her.

Culda chuckled. "You know Evelynn, I've heard stories about you. I've heard the ghoulish tales of the succubus created by the devil himself. Evelynn, The Agony's Embrace. Once a person succumbed to her charms, she'd torture them with unspeakable cruelty, leaving nothing but a bloody mess that once resembled that person's body." Culda explained. Evelynn noticed Culda's eyes give her body a once-over. The woman was certainly impressed by Evelynn's features, judging from the way she wetted her lips with her tongue. Culda soon put on an expression of disappointment.

"Now… all I can say is it seems I was misled by the stories. The evil, cold-blooded killer who only saw her deeds as innocent flings, I do not see that in you. I see what once held me back from achieving what I'd truly be." Culda continued, pausing for effect. "I see love… emotions… the need to cling to someone you're not sure you can live without. The urge to hold on… and never let go."

Evelynn snorted at the woman's words. "Is this supposed to annoy me or something love? Is it supposed to make me angry and turn over to your side?" She taunted.

"Oh not at all." Culda replied proudly. "I just thought I'd remind you of the reason of how you ended up in this situation. Helping a man who should've been left for dead, letting emotions blind you from your true self. I mean, after all, it seems like Elise did that too, and well… look where that got her."

Evelynn's cool and sultry demeanor disappeared. She futilely lunged at Culda who didn't flinch. Culda huffed at this. Evelynn saw her pull the tube out of her arm, bandaging it up soon after. The succubus cocked up an eyebrow when remembering the alchemist.

"What are you doing with my blood?" Evelynn asked, not sounding fearful in the slightest. "I'm assuming that's the only reason you have me here."

"Oh, you'll see." Culda said, seeing a few droplets fall from the tube. Evelynn narrowed her amber eyes curiously, and her mouth almost gaped when seeing Culda lick the blood off, swallowing it. She closed her eyes, licking her lips. She peeked an eye open to see Evelynn's bewildered expression. Culda smirked. "Oh my… is that fear I see in your eyes dear?"

The Agony's Embrace was unable to respond. It was wrong of her to feel this way. She often felt invincible and powerful, but at this moment, she felt none of that. Given her rare fear when with James, Evelynn shrugged it off but being bounded and unable to disappear in this very moment with a malicious woman right in front of her sent a shiver down Evelynn's spine.

"You… you're… you… monster." Evelynn said, her voice giving off a tone of fear as opposed to anger.

"Pot calling the kettle black my dear. Compared to you, I'm a saint." Culda purred. "Of course, after what I do to James, I'll be more feared than you probably." She cackled.

"Don't you lay a finger on him." Evelynn hissed. "Don't. You. Fucking. Dare."

"Oh Evelynn, I had my hands all over him way before you did." Culda said. "It's only fair that I get to do that once more… only this time, I'll rip the damn thing off."

Evelynn's temper flared. "YOU FUCKING BIT-"

The Grand General shut her up with a violent blow. Evelynn was knocked out, blood dripping from her gaping mouth. Culda ordered her guards to come in and take her away. When she was left alone in her bedroom once more, Culda paced to the closet and opened it. Her eyes locked onto the box sitting atop a dresser. She took a deep inhale and reached for the object, holding it carefully in both hands. Culda reared her head back, taking one hand off the box and pulling the sleeve down on her other arm. Her bandaged arm was visible, and she opened the box.

The Void Staff laid in the leather comforter of the box's interior. However, it was rather… different from before.

Its gems were no longer an ocean blue, but instead a dark red. The once-silver top of the staff was now coated in an organic, dark purple. The wood was, well no longer wood, but a marble black.

She'd coated it with her blood. Culda's power was blood magic, but in her time of learning of it, she found that it was one of the rarest magic to be used in the Rune Wars. She'd also learned of its ability to make blood pacts. Culda took an interest in this, but never imagined that she'd use such an ability.

That was until she found the Void Staff.

Culda actually prayed that she'd never have to use such an ability. Even such a scenario was too extreme in her mind. But even so, she desired something else above her own ethics, and morals.

Power.

She felt like her enemies were crowding around her. That she'd allow this to happen. That she'd fail after years and years of planning. She never expected James to have this much of an impact. Hell, she never thought he'd be part of this, but he was.

And with the worlds most sadistic and presumably evil figure on his side, let alone being his lover, Culda felt like she was out of options.

The woman took out her Luden's Echo, yanking the crescent top off and tossing it aside. She took the modified Void Staff, aligning it with the pointed center of her Luden's Echo.

"Forgive me." She said to herself.

Culda inhaled another deep breath, and forcefully connected both staffs together.

…

* * *

James's eyes slowly opened. He found himself staring at a ceiling in a light grey room. He slowly looked around, seeing a few pictures of people, one with a man and two women, the other being a portrait of a man with a beard, a woman, and two young girls, one having blonde hair. He then realized he was laying on a bed and his memory slowly came back to him.

"Evelynn." He said getting up.

His body immediately responded with a sore feeling in his stomach. He groaned, putting his hands over a bandage that had a circle of dried up blood staining it. He was only in his pants and James sat up straight, turning so his feet were hanging off the bed. As he was about to get up, the door was opened and a person in metallic looking armor stepped in. They looked at James.

"Ah Commander Holland, you've regained consciousness!" They said coming to his aid. "Wait, slow it down. Your wound's still healing up."

"What's going on?" He asked. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Du Couteau Manor my lord." The soldier replied. "Leblanc escorted you here. Had it not been for Vladimir's blood transfusion, you'd probably be dead."

"Alright…" James said, evidently tired. "Where's uh, where's Riven? Where are the others?"

"They're safe, don't worry." The soldier replied. James let out an exhale of relief. However, he remembered something else.

_Evelynn._

"Where's Evelynn?" He asked sounding worried. "Did Leblanc retrieve her from Culda?" Before the soldier could reply, a voice interjected his words. A pale woman stepped in. James's expression was anxious when he looked at Leblanc. "Leblanc… where's Evelynn?"

The Deceiver sighed. "She's in Culda's clutches. We were unable to pursue the carriage. She's not here."

She immediately regretted saying those words when James fell silent. His head hung as his arms flexed their muscles. His fingers curled around the mattress before letting out a loud yell and throwing himself off.

"SHIT!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. The guard and Leblanc flinched. "DAMMIT! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" James continued as he angrily flung a lamp to the floor. He reeled back his fist, and with all his strength, sent it into the wall with a loud crash. The wood splintered as James withdrew his fist that was a bit bloody. Leblanc heard some approaching footsteps and saw Riven with Katarina enter the room. The Exile was happy to see James awake, but that feeling immediately faded when she realized the situation.

"Holland, stop!" Katarina said running to him.

"I SHOULD'VE SHOT HER!" James said, lost in his rage. "THE BITCH GOT AWAY ALL BECAUSE OF ME!"

He was about to send another fist into the wall before Katarina grabbed it, barely halting the action. James tried to shake her off but felt a pair of strong hands grab his shoulders. Without thinking, Riven threw both her and James to the floor with her on top. James struggled, but Riven held him down firmly.

"James!" She said with a commanding tone. "Calm… Down!"

The man's breathing was heavy and uneven, and it took well over 10 seconds for it to stop with James finally calming down. His anger had subsided once more and his brows furrowed. Riven got off him, helping him up with Katarina giving her support. James's wound had leaked a little blood from his fiasco.

"Shh." Riven soothed. "It's alright… it's alright."

"It's true though Riven." James said forlornly. "It's my fault this happened. I had Culda right in my sights. I could've shot her right then and there. Ended this whole mess once and for all… but no… I had to make it personal. I've lost her."

"James, look at me." Riven said. He looked into her eyes. Riven smiled gently and pressed her temple against his. "We haven't lost her yet. You… haven't lost her yet, but bruising up your hands won't get her back."

"Which damaged my walls thank you very much." Katarina joked. She had a few bandages, soon wrapping them around his hands. "Maybe when this is all over, you can repair them."

Regret and fear were evident in James's eyes, but despite what he felt, he couldn't stop a little chuckle escaping. Leblanc had the soldier leave the room and soon after, Miss Fortune and Maddoc stepped in, having heard the commotion from downstairs. Riven met the eyes of her partner who smiled, Sarah seeing Katarina bandaging up James's hands. Having calmed down and feeling more relaxed after his outburst, James stood up. He noticed Riven and Maddoc holding hands with Miss Fortune whispering something into Katarina's ear.

The only one missing was Evelynn.

"Alright." James said, catching everyone's attention. He put his hand on his wound, pressuring it. James winched, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. He looked at his friends again. "What's the plan to stop Culda?"

Katarina snorted, speaking for Sarah, but that was it. She paced towards James who crossed his arms,

"You should get dressed first Holland." She advised. "Besides, we cannot discuss it in here. Our allies are in the ballroom of the manor. We'll discuss it there."

James nodded and Katarina took her leave, giving Miss Fortune's rear a playful slap as they left. Maddoc and Riven exchanged looks with James and they left with Leblanc following close behind. Left alone in the room, James saw his armor on a nearby table along with his weapons. He quickly suited up, loading his sidearm with a clip and holstering his rifle over his shoulder with a strap. Before leaving, he walked to the window, staring out into the city of Noxus.

"I won't lose you." He said. "Not to her. Not when I was helpless."

James left the bedroom, traversing through the halls of Katarina's mansion. He'd never been in her residence before, but he'd heard tales of its stature and design. They weren't lying about it.

He heard overlapping chatter to his left and looked in that direction. James saw only Katarina there and she beckoned him to come. When he reached the railing, James found himself overlooking something he didn't expect.

A company of Noxian soldiers were present in the ballroom. They, much like Culda's personal guard, were a mixture of men and women. Some were members of The Trifarian Legion while others were just regular soldiers along with a few Crimson Elites. Regardless, they were loyal to the Du Couteaus and were against Culda.

That was good enough for James.

He noticed that some of them wielded hextech rifles, Katarina whispering to James that they'd stolen them off the guards she slaughtered at the academy when retrieving these soldiers. They weren't the best shooters, but some had training with the programs Culda implemented.

Katarina shouted to get their attention, every looking up at the balcony. She gestured James to step forward, and when doing so, the room fell silent. Nobody spoke a word or commented about the former Commander James Holland being alive. After a few more moments, in near sync, the Noxians gave a salute to James who was taken aback from the gesture.

"The Commander of the Crimson Elite! He lives!" A soldier shouted.

"Culda betrayed this man!" Katarina said coming to James's side. "She left him for dead and used his demise to gain power! James has returned to Noxus to bring her down, and you're going to help him!"

"Affirmative!" They replied in unison.

The Sinister Blade stood back, letting James have the spotlight. He saw Riven, Maddoc, and Miss Fortune standing not too far to his right. Silence once again filled the room before James finally cleared his throat, and began to speak.

…

* * *

Culda hadn't left her bedroom since she combined her staff with the voids. She kept it placed inside of a black marble case that rested on her bed. She stood in front of her mirror, only in her undergarments. The woman ran her hands up her curves and sighed afterward. A knock came at the door, Culda pacing to it and gripping the handle.

"It's here madam." A chemist said, making no comment of her state of undress. He handed her a box that Culda took delicately with both hands. She thanked him and closed the door. Culda walked back to her mirror, moving aside all of her hair and allowing her emerald eyes to both be seen. She opened the box, carefully reaching in and taking out an injector with a dark, thick, red fluid in it. She raised it up, observing the device.

It was Evelynn's blood, with some adaptations from her alchemists to prevent it from possibly poisoning her. Culda looked at her reflection again, feeling like this would be the last time she'd see those emerald eyes.

It didn't matter anymore.

She removed the bandage on her arm, aligning the injection with the wounds hole after peeling off the scab. Closing her eyes, Culda pressed the needle into her arm and pushed down.

The blood entered her system, Culda silently cursing as she kept putting it into her body. When the hammer reached its end, Culda yanked the injection out and covered her arm with the bandage again. Her breathing was uneven and she kept looking in the mirror.

Nothing happened.

Suddenly, Culda felt a little… strange feeling in her bandaged arm. It was difficult to describe, being mixed with a tickle and a pinch. She looked down, seeing that her veins were glowing in that area, and they began to amplify, spreading further up, the veins along the entire arm becoming illuminated.

Her teeth began to twitch and then began to get pushed. Culda covered her mouth with her screaming muffled. It felt like her mouth was tearing itself apart as the effect spread through her whole body.

Then, everything felt numb and Culda blacked out.

"…"

The Grand General laid on her bedroom floor, in front of her mirror, still in her undergarments. She didn't seem to be breathing, showing any signs of life anywhere.

A loud gasp came from Culda who inhaled deeply, her lungs being refilled with the oxygen she desperately needed. The woman had a headache, and she put her claws upon her temple, tending to the feeling.

Claws?!

Culda felt a pinch, and she put her hand away from her head. Her mouth gaped. Her hands were no longer human-like, but they were razor sharp. They looked like… Evelynns.

"By the Gods…" Culda said when she came to the realization.

Culda was a beautiful woman, but she never really struck others as being deadly as well.

Now, she truly lived up to what she was; beautiful, and deadly.

Her emerald eyes were no longer that green color, instead were as red and dark as blood was allowed to be. Her pupils were slitted, much like Evelynn's, and her lips were raven black while being plump.

"Now… I am stronger than ever." She said.

The woman's voice was deeper and more distorted. It made her grin, and it didn't stop there.

Culda's mouth was fanged, and it made her grin grow even more. Her crimson eyes widened with a crazed look as she threw her head back, laughing psychotically. Her veins flowed with the blood of Evelynn, allowing her blood magic to amplify even further with the dark power of the succubus. Culda felt beautiful, seductive, and most importantly, powerful.

She drove her right hand into her left arm, digging deep into her skin with blood surfacing. Her blood was now darker, and when she began to chant a spell, she felt unspeakable power.

Unlimited power.

The red orb in her hand glowed with sinister power, and Culda kept grinning at it.

At that moment, a knock came at her door. Culda immediately looked at it, her crimson eyes glaring. The woman chose to get herself dressed, having on a more armored version of her uniform along with her coat. She flipped her black hair out of the collar, put her hextech gun into her holster and then opened the door. Minh was standing there, and he was immediately surprised by Culda's change in appearance.

"M-M-Madam Culda?!" He exclaimed. Culda gave him a grin, Minh's eyes widening at her fangs. "What have you done to yourself?!"

"Just a little bit of an improvement to my figure Minh." Culda mused. "Courtesy of your choice to bring that demoness back. I've injected her blood into me… with some unexpected results."

Before Minh could say anything else, Culda again slammed her lips into his. Her taste was different this time. It didn't reminisce her old taste at all. She tasted sweeter, like vanilla. Minh's concerns, and words, dissipated into his mind. Culda broke the kiss, giving him a grin with her teeth biting her lower lip.

"Gods… you're beautiful." Minh sighed.

Culda licked her lips mischievously. "What is your reason for coming here, my love?"

Minh snapped out of his charm-like state. "It is nearing the time. Your personal guard, and the Noxian soldiers loyal to you, are gathering around the High Command where the hanging will take place. Your advisors await your arrival. However, they want to um, discuss some concerns with your most recent choices."

The woman's playful smile went away. She turned around to her bed, eyeing the case briefly.

"Good." She said. "Wait for me at the carriage. I'll be down shortly."

"As you wish." Minh replied.

He took his leave and Culda was left alone. She slowly walked to her bed, reaching for the case and picking it up. She ran her hands gently over the smooth surface.

"It's time to bury the old regimes of Noxus, once, and for all." She said.

…

* * *

James stood in front of the mirror. He was dressed in his full armor once more, his rifle holstered on his back with his pistol along his left thigh. Along his waist were several clips attached to a belt that hung idly. James looked down, observing his helmet and running his thumb across the visor. He inhaled and set the helmet atop his head, his uniform being whole once more.

The door opened up, James turning to see Riven walking in. She had on some armor along with a red hood, though the cloth was pulled down which allowed her white hair to be exposed. She held her sword in her hand and she looked at him with uncertainty. The silence spoke for them, Riven and James pacing towards one another and embracing in a deep hug.

Riven could feel his heartbeat.

It was fast.

"Everything's going to be alright James." She said softly.

His grip grew tighter and tenser, Riven not letting out a sound of pain as he almost crushed her. They separated, Riven and James being silent as rain began to pour once more, tapping against the roof and windows alike. More footsteps could be heard, both figures turning to see familiar faces walking in. Miss Fortune, Maddoc, Katarina, even Leblanc, walked inside. Maddoc was dressed in the same armor as Riven with Katarina being in her leather, Miss Fortune having managed to repair what she could of her captain's uniform, minus the hat. James's smile slowly crept away.

"You don't seem happy Holland." Katarina said with a head tilt.

"What can I say?" James chuckled. "I know we have allies, but it still seems like Culda has us outnumbered."

"Aw come on honey." Sarah said sultrily. "I took down the Saltwater Scourge of Bilgewater with limited numbers on my side, this'll be a walk in the park for me." She finished, holding up her pistols.

"Not to mention we have a plan." Maddoc said, holding one of his many explosives. "And it's the plan of the best, damn Commander I've ever served under."

James huffed at the compliment. He reached behind his back for his rifle, gripping it tightly. "Well, by the end of today… Culda will have either won… or lost."

"I think you're forgetting one thing Commander." Leblanc finally said. She paced towards him until their noses were just inches apart. "When I saw you first arrive in Noxus so many years ago, I didn't think much of you. You had the strength and tenacity to be an effective soldier in the Crimson Elite, but I never imagined that you'd become so influential over Noxus, nor that you'd ever be in this position. I'm sorry… that we couldn't do anything about your former lover… Jade."

James blinked, a little befuddled. Katarina took a step forward, taking Leblanc's place.

"I think what she means is you've become a Noxian that no one would expect. You came from Zaun, an inventor actually, not exactly the type of occupation a Noxian would have, but even so, you've surpassed that. I might even consider you to be a younger version of my father." Katarina said, sounding a bit unsure of the last words with everyone, even Leblanc looking surprised. "I've never served under you as a soldier Holland, but if today is the last day Noxus has before falling into the state of Darkwill's ruling, then I'd rather die serving alongside you instead of serving under a ruler that would make even my father disgusted."

The man exhaled again. The words were comforting and inspirational. He looked at each of them, and Riven gave him a salute, then Maddoc, then Katarina, and… even Sarah. James felt his confidence skyrocket, and he polarised his visor.

"Alright…" He said with a confident tone. "Let's move."

They all started to pace out of the room, walking down the halls where several Noxian soldiers along with Crimson Elite were armored up with their weapons gripped tightly. Some of the soldiers wielded stolen hextech guns while most held swords or bows. The Crimson Elites stood aside for James as he kept pacing.

Riven had her broken blade holstered on her back and then felt Maddoc take her hand. She looked at him before tightening the grip.

"Riven… if anything happens to me... just know tha-"

The Exile silenced him with a kiss. Maddoc only returned the favor.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, or me." Riven said sternly. "Just stick together, and everything will be fine."

Maddoc exhaled sharply and nodded firmly. Miss Fortune and Katarina kept pace with James as Riven and Maddoc joined Leblanc and other Black Rose members with the ranged Noxian soldiers.

…

* * *

Culda sat in her carriage with Minh and two guards' opposite of her. On the floor between them was a bounded, gagged, and blindfolded Evelynn who was struggling against her captivity. Culda's eyes were hidden by a dark hood she wore with her sharp hands grasping a box tightly. One of her guards had grown curious about what resided within the box and the reason's for her hands looking, more bizarre… and inhuman. Culda sharply looked up, giving the curious guard a look of her crimson red, slitted eyes with a glimpse of her fangs. They immediately looked away, the expression of their evident fear being hidden by the helmet. Culda smiled before hiding her eyes again.

The carriage finally came to a halt, Minh quickly getting up and picking Evelynn up with one arm. The succubus let out muffled curses and grunts as Minh ignored them. The two guards let Culda exit first, the woman stepping out to see Noxian soldiers standing in formation with her personal guard present as well. They all turned and saluted her as she continued to pace with two of her guards behind her.

The clouds flashed and then a thunderclap was heard. Culda paced into Noxus's High Command where the bulk of loyal Noxian soldiers and what remained of her guard resided. Culda designated Minh to take Evelynn to join the three prisoners before ordering all the soldiers within the building to go outside in preparation for the execution. Culda reached the top floor with her object still in hand, and upon entering the meeting room, she was greeted with all of her advisor's who immediately took note of her slightly altered appearance.

"Madam Culda?" One asked astonished. "What… what's going on with your appearance?"

Culda didn't reply. She was oddly silent, and it made the advisors feel uneasy in a matter of moments.

"I've heard that some of you are um, a little concerned with my recent choices?" She asked, startling them with her voice.

"Y-Yes." They replied in overlapping answers.

The woman sighed and tilted her head. She set aside the object in her hands and closed the door, locking it. She flipped down her hood and threw her coat aside, revealing her slightly armored suit. She grinned and made sure they saw her fangs.

"Come… let us discuss these… _concerns._" She said, digging her claws into her palms.

…

* * *

James kept marching in front of the soldiers, feeling that it would boost their morale if their leader was the one heeding this trek. It wasn't a huge force, but it wasn't small enough to be stealthy either. He felt uneasy, his rifle being armed with no safety on. James briefly scanned each building they passed, making sure none of Culda's guards were hiding above.

Given Leblanc's information of Culda massing her forces around the High Command, it seemed far-fetched to encounter any, but in this time, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

Riven and Maddoc were right behind him along with Miss Fortune and Katarina. Leblanc and Vladimir were further back, staying with the members of the Black Rose.

"You feeling alright James?" Riven asked.

He didn't respond and the Exile knew she shouldn't ask anymore questions. Maddoc was beside her, looking straight ahead like James was. Riven looked away and thought about something briefly before clearing her throat.

"Hey Maddoc?"

"What's up?"

"If you don't mind me asking… what exactly made you want to get into explosives?" Riven asked. "Stop me if I'm going too far, but what they talked about with James back in the mansion, it made me wonder about you. Doesn't seem like a Noxian would get into explosives."

Maddoc chuckled with a friendly smile. "Well Riven, you kind of answered the question there yourself." He inquired, getting a raised brow from the girl. "See, I used to have a sister when I was just a kid. She was older, so… given that the older siblings tend to pick on the younger ones, well you can imagine I had a tough time trying to win the favor of my parents."

Riven only chuckled. Maddoc smirked before it slowly became a frown.

"Of course, my sister wasn't exactly the friendly type either. You know… we didn't have the relationship that say, uh, Katarina and Talon had." He said, receiving a glare from The Sinister Blade. Maddoc realized his mistake. "Oh uh, I mean have! Still have!"

Katarina rolled her eyes, looking away with Miss Fortune putting her arm around her. Riven looked back to Maddoc who kept speaking.

"Anyway, she wasn't exactly very kind to me. She was a bit sadistic on occasion, prompting me to fight her with my parents showing no intervention. They practically allowed it." Maddoc sighed. Riven's brows furrowed. "I tried, and I tried to earn their approval, but she always kicked my ass and gave me a black eye regularly."

"Oh… I'm… I'm so sorry." Riven said softly.

"Then, one night when I was kicked out of the house, I chose to kick a lamp to vent my frustration, unaware that the damn thing was full of kerosene and then, BOOM, the next thing I know, I'm flying several feet back and crashing into a damn wall. When my family heard the explosion, they hurried out to see what happened, and for the first time in my life, I saw tears in their eyes." Maddoc said chuckling. Riven's frown started to disappear, slowly smiling. "Well, it was more of my mother. My father was berating me while also being relieved that I was alive. My sister… well she just scoffed, but even so, I could see a minor pinch of relief in her eyes. Strange how people only start to care about you when you almost die."

"That's not a very positive thing to say Maddoc."

"Anyway." Maddoc said, not bothering to comment on Riven's words. "As I was recovering, I felt something within me. I recalled that explosion, and how powerful it was. Blew me several feet I remind you, and that was just a lamp full of kerosene. I could only imagine what would happen if I chose to study explosives, and forge my own. It's like that explosion blew away the illusion of Noxian's always having to show strength, and instead showing their strength in a different way on the battlefield. And so… that's how I got into demolition."

The Exile hummed with interest and looked away. Another question, well more of a realization, came to her mind. Her expression changed a little. "So… I guess why you sometimes choose to fight with a sword is bec-"

"Is because I'm still haunted by memories of sparring with my sister and how I could never beat her with pure strength. That's why I tried to fight that brute Minh."

Before Riven could respond, James's voice chimed in.

"The power of one's mind is infinite Maddoc, while brawn is limited." He said without looking. "However, neither is better than the other in every circumstance. Most of the time, it's good to use both… respectively."

Maddoc smiled and agreed with his words. Riven held his hand and leaned to give his cheek a quick kiss with the boy blushing.

The force continued their march which remained uneventful until they finally reached the high walls just outside of the High Command.

This was where they'd set their plan in motion.

James exhaled and turned to the company of soldiers. This was it. This was where he'd finally get his revenge against Culda, or he'd die trying.

"You all know the plan!" He said loud enough so they could hear. "Draw out Culda's forces. Spread them thin!" He stopped, sighing and remaining silent. "Or make sure… you give them hell. Regardless… there will be… no retreat."

The soldiers came him a salute. James wasn't the type of person to make speeches, but truthfully, after what he's endured these past weeks, the man did as best as he could to keep himself, and others motivated.

…

* * *

Culda observed the four prisoners before her. She held that malicious smile and mixed with the slitted eyes, three of the four felt shivers down their spines, Swain included. Evelynn glared fiercely at the woman.

"When I get out of these bounds… I'm going to pull your tongue out through your neck… and shove it down your throat." Evelynn snarled.

"Aww, so adorable." Culda mused. "Sticks and stones slut."

"Do what you want with us." Talon interjected. "Just please… leave Cassiopeia out of this. I beg of you Culda."

Culda blinked. She knelt down in front of the bounded assassin, gently cupping his jaw to bring his head up. She looked into his eyes, seeing the emotions that matched his words. Culda tilted her head as she thought about his words. She smiled warmly, gently tapping against his cheek.

"Well… alright." She said softly. "I do suppose I could."

Culda snapped her fingers and a few of her guards entered the room, Minh included. She had Minh hoist Talon to his feet as the other guards helped up Cassiopeia. Two more guards joined Minh, one pulling Talon's head back with the other one forcing his eyes to stay open.

"What are you doing?!" He asked uncomfortable with the situation.

"You told me to leave Cassiopeia out of this Talon." Culda said, her sinister tone resurfaced. "I suppose I could spare her of being hanged, but I also can't let her go."

Talon immediately tried to break free. It was futile.

"Come Talon, did you really think I'd let her go because you asked me to?" Culda said sarcastically. "Begging has no place in Noxus. It's a symbol of weakness, and weakness must be destroyed."

"Don't. You. Dare." Talon hissed.

Culda sprawled out her claws, examining them with a smirk before looking at Talon. "You will watch this."

One of the guards covered Talon's mouth while keeping his eyes open. Talon let out vulgar curses, but they were muffled. Culda took a step towards Cassiopeia who was whimpering but ignored the cries. The guards kept a firm grip on the serpent woman. Culda prodded against Cassiopeia's neck, and with a slow, almost teasing like motion, dug her nails into the skin. Cassiopeia began to scream and made inhumane noises when Culda dug deep enough to sever the artery. Then, she started to glide it across to the other side, blood spurting out and coating Culda's arm in it. Talon thrashed violently. Cassiopeia made gurgling sounds as she started to drown in her own blood. By the time Culda was finished, she'd slit the entirety of the serpent woman's throat open, and finally… it stopped. Culda nodded to her guards and they carelessly dropped the lifeless Cassiopeia to the floor where a hefty amount of blood had pooled. Culda examined her crimson coated arm, daintily bringing out her tongue and tasting it.

"Mmm, spicy." She murmured. "Let him go."

Minh and the other guards released Talon who had veins literally everywhere fuelled from his anger.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING CU-!"

Minh kicked Talons' face and he was knocked flat on his back, unconscious. The guards picked him up with Swain getting the same treatment. They were soon escorted out, leaving Culda alone with Evelynn again. She heard a giggle from Evelynn, and Culda turned her head so quickly it sounded like a snap.

She despised it when her enemies mocked her in any possible way.

Evelynn purred. "Give in to your anger. Let the illusion of you being a decent ruler fade away and see how pathetic you are. See how your arrogance has led you to this point."

Culda glared and angrily walked to the succubus. She put her hand on Evelynn's throat, squeezing it hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Not a single word of joy or any exclamations of pleasure when I cut that bitches throat." Culda said referring to Cassiopeia's corpse. "I do suppose the old killer within you really is gone Evelynn. Guess you're only useful for one thing now."

"And what's that?" Evelynn retorted. She chose to puff out her chest. "Wanna feel and worship a real woman?"

Culda didn't reply, instead snapping her fingers and two of her guards entered. One was a man and one was a woman with their helmets off, being dressed fully in their armor. The man was bald with a few scratches on his face while the woman had short hair with a single scar down her right eye with a square-like chin. Evelynn cocked up a brow and her expression showed a mixture of disinterest and annoyance. Culda stepped aside and let them pick Evelynn up by her shoulders, tossing her into the center of the room. Culda flipped her over and pressed her boot onto Evelynn's torso. Evelynn was going to spout back, but the female guard pressed her glove over her mouth. Culda knelt down with a menacing glare.

"No. I'm going to show y-, no, make you the only thing you'll EVER be good for in this world… before I use you to draw James out." She chuckled with Evelynn's eyes flaring. "My two guards, Gunther, and Helena here, need some release. And I couldn't think of anyone better suited for that than you."

Gunther and Helena smiled, Evelynn struggling furiously against her bounds. Culda stood up, towering over the succubus. "Remember, don't kill her, but feel free to hurt her as much as you like."

The two guards chuckled and Culda took leave from the room, leaving a helpless Evelynn alone with them both. The man looked over at his partner.

"So Helena." He began. "What should we do first?"

The woman cracked her knuckles, Gunther doing the same from the clear message. Helena pulled Evelynn's hair with the woman grunting and being forced to follow. The woman grabbed one of Evelynn's plump cheeks.

"This fat-ass needs to have bruises on it first." She said with a deep voice. "Let's not waste any time."

…

* * *

James and his forces had taken cover in front of numerous crates and other forms of cover. They were in front of one of many gates that allowed them to enter the courtyard of the High Command which currently housed a hefty number of people, both Culda's forces and civilians. With selected locations, James had Maddoc with a few soldiers go to various spots around the area to plant the explosives. Riven, Miss Fortune, and Katarina weren't too far from James. Leblanc and Vladimir had chosen to keep their members close as they awaited the return of the others.

"Holland." Katarina said breaking the silence. James looked at her. "No matter what happens… I'm right behind you."

James was silent, too concerned to find Evelynn. Regardless, he managed to speak. "Thank you Katarina… I'd have it no other way."

"Ahem." Riven interjected, James and Katarina looking at her. They could see the playfulness in her expression.

"I was getting to you." James said with a rare chuckle.

Approaching footsteps caught their attention and Maddoc, along with the soldiers returned. He took cover next to Riven respectively. James leaned to hear his words.

"Explosives are in place Commander." He said, bringing out a device and priming it. "Just waiting for your permission."

James exhaled, closing his eyes. He was about to say the words, but then a familiar voice could be heard in the distance. It sounded like they were giving a speech, and James could make out a few words. He looked at Maddoc and mouthed "Not yet."

…

* * *

Heavy blows were heard inside the room Evelynn was kept in. Helena and Gunther were ruthlessly beating her to a pulp, mainly kicking her with their boots. Evelynn had markings, bruises, and even scratches all over her once unscathed, beautiful body. She didn't whimper or cry, instead just grunting in annoyance from the sound of it. She was helpless with her still being bounded and after they finally deemed it enough, the two guards stopped.

"Ah, that let off some steam." Gunther said, delivering one last kick to Evelynn.

"I hope you still have the energy left for the real fun." Helena snickered.

Gunther chuckled at the woman. They both turned away from Evelynn who soon heard the sounds of armor coming off. With her having a moment to breathe, she started to struggle against her bounds again, but this time, she wriggled her claws out. If she could just get them out enough to sprawl a hand, the succubus could cast a hate spike and impale both these people in quick ease. Evelynn managed to get one hand free, but that was it before the boot of Helena stomped onto her hands. She pressed down roughly with Evelynn whining. Gunther put a device on her back.

"That's right… squeal. Call for help." Helena whispered with venom. She pressed something just outside of Evelynn's hindquarters. It felt firm and big. Evelynn gulped and Helena allowed her to turn around slightly, seeing that the woman had put on a strap-on. Helena gave Evelynn's ass a harsh slap. "No one's gonna save you."

Gunther pulled down his pants, and with Helenas assistance, aligned his exposed member with Evelynn's womanhood. She snarled at them both.

"As soon as I'm out of these bounds… I'm gonna rip that thing off… and shove it down her throat." Evelynn hissed.

The Agony's Embrace felt a saliva covered finger prod her backside and saw Helena give a wolfish grin. "Go ahead and try it."

…

* * *

Culda stood at the podium of the Noxian High Command. She looked down at the crowd that was a mixture of cheers and jeers. Culda looked at Minh who stood with a straight posture with a handful of her guards present as well, Swain and Talon in shackles. She cleared her throat.

"Today, I finally fulfill a promise I made to all of you, to all of Noxus! Today marks the end of the old Noxus! The end of a reign that held nothing but underhandedness, scheming, and manipulation! Even as I speak, the remnants of those old ways still try to bring me down! They've gone so far to make an attempt on my life when I retrieve their leader and even infiltrated my advisory! No longer will I, or Noxus, tolerate such treachery and cowardly acts! Today, the brother of the traitor Katarina Du Couteau and the old leader who had the audacity to take up arms against me will be executed! After this is done, we can finally stop focusing on the enemies within our empire, and ensure that all lands and countries… **will bow to Noxus! AND WILL REMEMBER THIS, AS THE DAY, CULDA GRAVES, LED NOXUS TO EVERLASTING GLORY!**" Culda said, calming down after riling herself up just by giving that speech.

The crowd said nothing. Culda was shaking from her excessive talking.

Then, all of the soldiers, and some civilians raised their arms to her. Culda was still shaking but smiled when seeing such a glorious sight. Her hearing faded, only hearing her heartbeat, and she closed her eyes with a pleased, content sigh.

"…"

_ **BOOM** _

Culda's bliss was switched off when an explosion sounded. Then another, then another… and another.

The Grand General could see grey, fiery clouds erupting just outside of the perimeter of the High Command. Her pleased expression immediately disappeared and her mind could no longer think straight. It was in a state of disarray… and Culda looked around for advice.

She remembered that she'd killed her advisors.

A vein appeared on her forehead and she turned around, looking down at the crowd who seemed to wait for her command. Without much thought, Culda made her choice.

"ARE YOU STUPID AND BLIND?!" She shouted. "GO CONTROL THE SITUATION!"

After that, the bulk of her forces parted, each setting off in different directions towards the areas where the explosions occurred. Culda kept scowling and turned to one of her guards.

"Bring the succubus." She demanded. **"Now."**

…

* * *

As Gunther and Helena were about to respectively fuck Evelynn senselessly, they heard numerous, muffled like explosions. Their attention was drawn off the succubus, and that's all she needed.

"What the hell was that?" Helena asked.

"No idea." Gunther replied. "I'm sure it's now-ARGH! AH FUCK!"

Helena looked at her partner with bewilderment but then felt a sharp pinch along her legs. They both yelled as pink spikes impaled themselves into the guards unarmored legs. Helena collapsed backward, clutching her wounds with a wince while Gunther was holding onto his bleeding crotch. They both looked at Evelynn who was cackling and adrenaline replaced their pain.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Helena shouted.

Helena charged Evelynn who cast a hate spike and stopping her movements. Gunther brought his hands together and was about to club Evelynn down, but the succubus turned around, and with precise timing, let her bounds take the hit.

With a clasp hitting the ground, Evelynn was free. Both guards froze when seeing the malicious grin.

"She's… how is she…?" Helena was astonished.

Evelynn cackled and heard Gunther run to grab his hextech revolver. She snarled and numerous hate-spikes appeared below the man's feet, impaling his lower body with ease as Gunther whimpered and when they retreated, fresh blood leaked from all the wounds and he fell to his knees. Evelynn noticed that his exposed manhood had been severed and she smirked. Helena tried to tackle Evelynn down, but the succubus was quicker and parred her attack. Evelynn kneed her stomach, scratched her face, and then sent a heavy blow, knocking her down. Evelynn then flipped Helena over and clutched her head upward harshly. Helena noticed Evelynn holding an object in her claws.

"What was that you said to me earlier bitch?" Evelynn whispered. "Such a disappointment you can't seem to keep your promises. Oh well, I'll keep mine."

"Don't you fucking try it." Helena snapped.

Evelynn paid no mind and with a quick motion, she shoved Gunther's severed manhood right down Helena's throat with the woman vocally choking. Evelynn then slammed her face first repeatedly onto the floor until blood splatters began to form. Evelynn kept doing this… until the door was heard opening.

"Hey Gunther, Helena, Culda wants-" The man said, stopping his words at the scene before him.

Two more guards were with him, a man and a woman who had swords instead of guns. Helena muttered an incoherent command and the guard soon raised his rifle. Evelynn snarled and abandoned her position on Helena as the man opened fire on her. The succubus dashed to avoid the gunfire, seeing an exit in front of her and running towards it as the man kept shooting. When she was out of sight, he cursed and turned to his comrades.

"Felix, Hendrik! Help her up! I'll get the bitch!" He said.

The man began to sprint after Evelynn as Helena was helped up by the other two. They noticed she was choking and Helena pushed them away, putting her hands on her throat and after some grotesque sounds, she managed to spit out the severed manhood of her former partner. She gasped for air as Felix and Hendrik did what they could to help. Helena growled at them both.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GO AFTER HER!"

Evelynn continued to run through the hallways of the building, but the guard kept pace with her and took shots at her when he could. Evelynn would've fought him head-on if she could unleash her lashers, but the device on her back prevented that. She hid out of sight in another hallway, trying to get the device off her, but heard rapidly approaching footsteps and she primed her claws.

The guard rounded the corner and was met with a clawed hand that knocked his helmet off. He raised to shoot Evelynn, but she put both her hands on the gun with the man pulling the trigger, the weapon unleashing its bullets as they struggled. Eventually, Evelynn used the gun to swing the man around into the wall where she kneed his stomach and scratched his exposed face. He growled and put his hands around her waist, lifting Evelynn up and turning around with her being slammed into the wall. Evelynn grunted at the impact, kneeing him again and began to elbow his back. With the talon-like objects on her elbows, they proved to be effective for damaging the guard's back effectively.

Despite his exclamations of pain, he didn't let go, and Evelynn heard yells from the direction she came, seeing Helena with Hendrik and Felix behind her, all armed with swords. Cursing at the increasingly difficult odds, Evelynn stopped elbowing the guard, kneeing his groin this time and with a yell, threw him at Helena and the others. The guard tripped over the railing, falling onto another railing with an audible snap as his back was bent into a position it was never meant to be in. Helena and the others looked at this with a wince, but soon remembered Evelynn who took off down the hallway. She reached a door and tried to turn the knob, but found that it was locked. Evelynn grunted angrily, banging her hands on the door.

"HEY BITCH." A voice said.

Evelynn inhaled deeply, slowly turning to see Helena standing opposite at the other end of the hallway. Felix and Hendrik joined her, but she held them back. They were all armed with swords which Helena likely chose to make this more personal, and satisfying.

Evelynn hissed and raised her hand to cast a hate-spike, but nothing happened. She was befuddled and did it again with no results. "What the?"

"That device seems to be doing its job." Felix snickered. "Guess your magic can't do such spells in short bursts anymore."

Evelynn growled and eyed the crazed, and rage induced expression of Helena. Her mouth was bloody and her armor wasn't put on the most proper way. Evelynn turned fully to the three of them, sprawling her hands with her talons glowing pink.

Luckily for her, she'd had a fair share of hand-to-hand combat in the centuries of her life, but during their brief stay at James's house, Evelynn and him had a little spar, the succubus quickly gaining the knowledge and skills for such combat. She bent her neck both ways with a crack.

With a yell, Helena charged against Evelynn with the two guards following her, and Evelynn did the same. They met in the middle with Helena raising her sword to cut Evelynn down. The succubus grabbed her arm with one and elbowed her armpit before tripping the woman down. Felix lunged to stab Evelynn who stepped to her right, elbowing the back of his head with the man falling down as Hendrik attempted a slice as well. Evelynn blocked her attack like Helena's and sent a heavy blow to Hendrik's face before lightly embedding her claws into the woman's neck. Hendrik wasn't faltered, kneeing Evelynn's torso and kicking her against the wall. Evelynn used both claws to hold back Hendrik's blade and head-butted her with the woman hitting the wall opposite of her.

Helena attempted to decapitate Evelynn who ducked down and she then sent a fist at the succubus who blocked it. Helena then feinted with her blade-wielding hand and used Evelynn's exposure to knee her, knocking the woman against the wall again. Helena thrusted her weapon forward, but Evelynn barely managed to dodge being impaled and she dug her hands into the woman's wrist and elbowed her with her free arm, knocking Helena on her feet. Felix let out a cry and charged Evelynn who readied herself, but she didn't think he'd jump into the air and she was forced down with a loud grunt. Felix moved to drive the blade into her skull, but Evelynn scratched his torso twice and knocked him off.

Evelynn felt a grip on her leg and saw Hendrik holding it tightly as Helena got back up.

"Chop her leg!" Hendrik shouted.

Helena grinned maliciously, grabbing a sword and preparing to severe Evelynn's leg. The succubus noticed this and with a yell, spun her body and used the combined force to kick Helena against the wall. Evelynn then kicked Hendrik off her and stood up, being forced to jump back from a sweep by Felix. He wildly and carelessly swiped at Evelynn numerous times, the woman parring each one respectively. Felix was vocally getting angrier and Evelynn smirked, knowing he'd make a mistake soon.

After an overextended lunge, Evelynn grabbed Felix's arm and pressed her body against his, throwing him over her and finding himself trapped between her thighs. Evelynn gave a twist with a snarl and a grotesque snap was heard as she felt Felix's body go limp.

"No!" Hendrik said with horror in her voice.

Hendrik brought her sword down that Evelynn rolled to avoid. Helena did the same, but she put in too much force and was on her knees. Evelynn grabbed Helena's head and kneed her in the face before retreating from Hendrik's next attack. Evelynn moved to the right but felt herself hit the wall and Hendrik swipe at her. Evelynn barely blocked it with her hands, feeling the blade graze her palms lightly. Hendrik growled and pulled her weapon back which allowed Evelynn to crouch down and tackle the woman with them hitting the wall. Hendrik kicked Evelynn away who had to jump forward from Helena's stab.

Evelynn was trapped between the two women and she was forced to block attacks from both ends. Hendrik managed to lightly cut Evelynn's thigh with Helena doing the same to the succubus's torso. When Hendrik swung again, Evelynn used both claws to stop her blade while crouching from Helena's. Evelynn kicked Helena in the groin and disarmed Hendrik soon after. Hendrik kneed Evelynn into a dazed Helena and tried to kick, but ended up kicking Helena as Evelynn managed to move.

With a snarl, Evelynn grabbed Hendrik's head and head-butted her again before embedding both her claws deep into the woman's throat and severing several arteries. Evelynn then kicked the woman away with such force that she broke down a door with splinters on the bottom. Then, the succubus heard a slice and yelped as her back now had a wound on it from an exhausted Helena. The woman tried to decapitate Evelynn with failed results and Evelynn grabbed Helena's armor.

Evelynn yelled as she jumped back with Helena being forced to follow. A snap sounded when they hit the floor, and Evelynn's tense eyes looked into Helena's as the woman kept growling with a stern glare, but she soon croaked.

Helena's neck was impaled on the spike-like chips of the broken door, and they were leaking fresh blood at a rapid pace. Evelynn was sweating and breathing heavily, but she managed to grin at her defeated opponent.

"Lights out." She said in a ghastly voice.

Helena managed a grumble, but soon, her vision started to fade as the blood-loss took its effect, her eyes closing and soon, silence.

Evelynn let go of the dead woman, getting up a wince and she let out a silent cry when feeling the wound on her back. Evelynn also felt the device that was preventing her lashers from being free. She growled, putting her claws on the device and tried to get it off. However, she soon heard distant voices that were shouting. Evelynn cursed and exited the room going to the jammed door and punching through the glass hole, putting her arm through and finding the knob on the other side. She listened for the sounds, and with a click, she smiled and finally opened it. Evelynn closed it just in time as numerous guards had run into the hallway, vocally taking notice of the recent fight that took place.

"Dammit! Inform Culda that we've lost the bitch and are looking for her!" An officer shouted. "Spread out! Track her down!"

Evelynn scoffed when hearing the words. She chose to move away from the door and put her claws on the device again. It seemed to be embedded into her skin, and Evelynn winced but managed to get it off with a ripping noise. Once this was done, she sighed contently as her lashers finally stretched out more, her sinister and seductive power whole again.

"Time to get out of here." She said.

…

* * *

"Where are they?" A soldier asked, his weapon primed and ready to fire.

"Wait for it." James said.

The company was still waiting outside of the area, all of them silent as they waited for the reaction from the opposition within. James closed off all his senses and focused, hearing only his heartbeat that was quicker than usual. Miss Fortune's stomach was churning. Maddoc's heart racing possibly quicker than James. Riven's hands gripped securely on her blade. Katarina's daggers slowly sheathing together.

"…"

Then, the gate the group was in front of began to open. James peeked up, seeing a sizable amount of Noxian soldiers with Culda's personal guard coming out of the gates. They were armed and James took a deep breath.

"NOW!" He shouted.

James exposed himself appropriately from his cover with Miss Fortune following his actions. They opened fire on the Noxians in the currently narrowed space. The sounds of arrows being released were heard from James's side with some inaccurate gunfire. Leblanc blasted magic alongside members of the Black Rose with Vladimir unleashing a torrent of blood. Culda's forces were cut down in moderate numbers as they returned fire. Maddoc primed one of his explosives and tossed it at the guards. A few bodies were sent flying as some of Culda's guards shot down a few Noxian soldiers.

James kept firing his rifle until it ran dry and he was forced to reload. Riven and Katarina remained in cover until they heard some of their opposition take cover opposite of their barriers. Riven vaulted over the object, kicking a soldier and stabbing them with her blade. Katarina blinked behind four of Culda's guards, becoming a flurry of blades and impaling them with daggers in moments. The soldiers loyal to Culda shot arrows at James and Sarah who were forced to take cover. Their cover was pelted with gunfire and arrows alike.

"Dammit they got us pinned!" Miss Fortune said frustrated.

Maddoc saw his trapped allies and threw another explosive at the soldiers keeping the duo pinned. They managed to move back to avoid the explosion which allowed James and Miss Fortune to move freely.

"Riven! Katarina!" James shouted catching their attention. "Take a few fighters and flank them! We'll draw their fire!"

"There's that old battle-hardened Commander!" Katarina said with a grin. "You got it Holland!"

James turned back to Sarah and a few Noxian soldiers joined them. "You ready?"

"The fun begins." Miss Fortune replied licking her lips.

"MADDOC!" James shouted.

Maddoc got the message and threw another one that didn't even come close to landing in a position where it could do damage. The explosion created a brief cloud and James's squad hustled, firing their weapons at the guards and soldiers who blindly fired back. A few guards were shot down with three of James's soldiers cut down as well. Miss Fortune shot a few bullets into the air, making it rain down onto the opposition who shouted.

The guards heard movement behind them and turned to see two women with several soldiers at their backs lunging at them. Riven cut down two soldiers with a single sweep despite having a broken blade as Katarina threw a dagger into a soldiers' neck. A guard shot down one soldier, but he was soon impaled from behind with a sword. As the two forces continued to exchange gunfire, James's were slightly getting the upper hand thanks to his tactics and the seemingly unprepared guards and soldiers loyal to Culda.

"Forward!" He said waving his hand in front. "Force them back and push in!"

His words seemed to boost the morale of the soldiers and they kept firing with Riven and Katarina making short work of those who were distracted. Miss Fortune continued to pepper them with her gunfire, laughing gleefully as she cut a few down.

"Nothing but powder monkeys!"

A guard shot down two members of the Black Rose and a few Noxian soldiers. James inhaled and started to sprint in that direction, firing against the other guards and soldiers who were occupied with his allies. He activated the bayonet within his rifle and jumped over the cover. The guard only had a moment to see him before James shoved the blade into one of her helmet's eye sockets. The body fell limp and James yanked his gun out, turning around to block a sword that aimed to cut him down. James slammed his rifle into the guards' face which stunned them and then stabbed him in the gut. However, the guard was still alive and tried to get James's grip off his gun. The man responded by pushing the guard against a wall, pressing his weight against the man's and making the bayonet go deep enough to be fatal.

James looked around amidst the battle, seeing his allies advancing against the dwindling forces of Culda's guards and soldiers. Maddoc took cover, throwing two explosives this time to draw some guards out of cover which put them in the path of Miss Fortune and a few archers. Katarina and Riven fought back to back, their weapons clashing with similar ones, but they were the victors. Leblanc continued to use her magic to good use with Vladimir. Their group didn't seem to lose anyone else.

"We got them on the run let's go!" James said charging forward.

His allies followed in suite, and in a minute or two, they'd managed to cut down and drive off the opposition. When the battle died down, James surveyed around. There was still quite a bit of soldier's left alive with most of the bodies being Culda's forces.

"Kicked their asses!" Miss Fortune whooped raising her pistol.

"Form up!" James said.

They rallied up behind their leader who observed the entrance to the courtyard of the High Command. He turned around.

"Alright, we've gained an entrance to High Command." He began. "However, I have a feeling that the force we just finished off was just a portion of Culda's forces. It won't be long before they know about this skirmish so move fast!"

They nodded in response. James looked at Sarah, Maddoc, Riven, and Katarina. They nodded respectfully and he turned to Leblanc. She gripped her staff tightly with a stern look. He examined the remainder of the Noxian soldiers.

"Draw them out." He said. "Distract them and buy us as much time as possible. And watch your fire around the civilians… if there's any there."

A soldier stepped forward. He gave James a salute. "No retreat, no surrender, no defeat."

James bit his lip and gave an affirmative nod. "Get to it."

"For Holland!" Cheered the soldiers.

The garrison began to advance further into the area and James exchanged looks with Leblanc who was silent. She had a handful of Black Rose members depart with Vladimir while a few remained with her. She walked towards a wall, and with a few choice words, channeled her staff with a steady beam of light purple energy. The bricks dissipated moments later, revealing a dark, gloomy-like hallway. James wasn't baffled while Miss Fortune was taken aback. Katarina rolled her eyes.

"That's some cool shit right there." Miss Fortune chuckled. "Mind if I have that staff after we're done sweetie?"

Leblanc didn't give any response and James peered into the hallway. He felt Katarina come up behind him, the redhead taking his hand tightly and James looked at her.

"Remember… I've always got your back." She said.

James smiled under his mask. He trapped Katarina's hand with his other glove, getting a weak smile from the Sinister Blade.

"Let's end this... once and for all."

Another hand placed itself atop James's, and he looked at Riven who had a timid smile.

"For Jade." She said.

James's eyes glistend for a moment. "For Jade." He repeated.

The group began to move in.

…

* * *

Culda hadn't moved from her position since she gave the order to control the threat, and she was growing impatient with the lack of her guards bringing back Evelynn. Culda's eyes twitched, her expression a seemingly permanent scowl, and her feet tapping at an impatient pace.

Finally, a guard sprinted up to the balcony and Culda immediately turned.

"Culda! She's gone! She's escaped!" She exclaimed. "She killed Helena and Gunther! We suspect she's in the building still!"

The woman was about to have a fit of rage, but managed to suppress it. "Inform every one of my guards. Find. That. **Slut**." She snapped.

The female guard nodded and took leave from the enraged Culda. Swain noticed her obvious anger from her body language, and he chuckled. Immediately, Culda fixated her glare upon him and stomped towards the former general. Her guards gave her space for their own safety and Talon inched away.

Swain wasn't intimidated at all.

"Something funny, Jericho?" Culda snapped.

"I just can't help but wonder how hard it must be for you to maintain this, uh, illusion I suppose."

"What kind of illusion is that?" Culda hissed.

"The illusion of being a good ruler." Swain said. "You're truly, truly the successor of Darkwill. As Loomis told us anyway." He snickered.

A violent blow occurred with Swain's vision briefly going white as he felt warm fluids flow out of his nose. Culda grabbed his hair and pulled him back up.

"I'm not Darkwill." She said bluntly. "Look around Swain. Look at the advancements I've made. Look at how much I've improved in Noxus. I've lead this Empire into a new age. Something you… and your cultist girlfriend won't be part of."

"Do you really think I'm comparing your advancements to Borams?" Swain asked amused. A vein appeared on Culda's head. "We both know what I'm talking about. About how Boram Darkwill fell from power?"

Swain could see the frustration in Culda's eyes now. She knew exactly what he was getting at, but he would still say it just to make it crueler.

"Oh yes he ruled for some time, but that's because he lusted over magical relics that were rumored to merely extend the period of his mortal life. Evaine played a key role in his downfall, and he grew more paranoid as time went on. She poisoned his mind, and with his paranoia increasing significantly, it was only a matter of time until he would finally snap." Swain explained, pausing for effect, chuckling for a moment. "It seems like you've certainly followed in his footsteps Culda, but you didn't need any manipulating. No… you were weaker."

Culda wasn't looking at him, but her head wasn't hanging. She clenched her fists and Swain knew he was getting to her.

He'd make sure she knew what she was.

"Sure you may have deciphered the weakness of Noxian citizens with the death of James Holland and Hector Vermelo, but how long did that last before they finally began to turn on you? Truthfully, you did well for the first part of your ruling, but once you learned that Holland brought down the Dark Sovereign, you began to panic. Your paranoia got the better of you. You fell into a hole quicker than Darkwill did, and yet you call yourself a better ruler than him. Even if you let Evaine infiltrate your advisory… she'd have her work cut out for her." Swain continued. "The citizens of Noxus didn't even bat an eye when I seized the throne from him. And now… they won't even flinch when you lose it."

Culda didn't make a sound.

She didn't even look at him.

"You're no ruler Culda. You can… sit on a throne… but that doesn't make you a ruler… it only means you have an arse." Swain said looking away.

He heard a step, and then a click. Swain found himself looking at the barrel of her hextech gun. His brows raised slightly, and Culda exhaled. She noticed him smiling actually.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked.

"Because I know, no, WE, both know, that by tomorrow, you won't be a ruler of Noxus. Not anymore." Swain said. Culda pulled on the chamber of her pistol, pressing it harshly against his skull. Swain closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Culda, you're a child... playing dress-up."

He knew he set her off and prepared himself.

"Be quiet."Culda said impassively.

She pulled the trigger.


	26. Violence To End Violence

Culda didn't even flinch, or blink, when she fired the shot. Some blood had found it's way onto her face as the corpse of Swain was forced on it's back from the powerful action. Minh and the others guards however flinched while Talon was only heaving. He glared at Culda who met his gaze. She aimed at him, but this time her hands were shaking with the gun rattling. Talon could see the desperation within her slitty eyes, wide with anxiety and the stability of a lunatic.

"Go ahead. Do it." He snarled. "Shoot the brother of Katarina. Shoot the only thing keeping her from chopping you into tiny pieces of meat."

Culda was almost tempted to take that offer, but then, an explosion was heard in the distance.

It was within the courtyard.

Civilians were screaming as gunfire began to sound. Culda instantly turned around, moving to the edge of the balcony to see a large number of soldiers that weren't hers pouring into the large courtyard. They began to engage those who weren't civilians on sight, distant clashes of blades mixing with gunfire. Culda felt her temper rise once more.

"My General!" An officer said running to her. "The courtyard has b-"

"I KNOW THAT!" Culda shouted, turning around with the man flinching. "It's the soldiers loyal to the fucking Du Couteaus. Where's my personal guard?"

"The majority of them have returned to the building at your command my lady." The officer answered. "Do you wish to deploy them and assist your loyal soldiers?"

Culda couldn't find an answer She looked at the opposing force, eyeing for any sign of Katarina… or James. That's when she realized it and made her choice.

"Leave them out there. Katarina and Holland are in the building. Find them... and kill them." She ordered.

_ **"You can sit on a throne… that doesn't make you a ruler… it only means you have an arse… Culda."** _

Culda exhaled sharply and heard Talon snickering.

"Your enemies crowd around you Culda." He spat. "Swain seemed to be correct."

Culda scowled, her fists clenching. She stormed off the balcony. "All of you with me. Minh, bring that rat and stay close to me." She ordered to the present guards.

They obeyed without question, leaving the balcony as the battle in the courtyard continued to rage on.

…

* * *

James and his group reached the end of the hidden hallway. Leblanc casted one more spell that resulted in the wall before them opening with absolute silence, revealing a room that seemed to be a storage room. Regardless, James peeked out to see if it was empty, and he stepped out, gesturing the others to come. Riven and Maddoc came through first, followed by Miss Fortune and Katarina with Leblanc being the next one alongside her Black Rose members with a few Noxian soldiers too. They took up defensive positions in the room, James and Katarina closest to the door.

"On three." He said.

Katarina nodded and they counted with head gestures before James finally began to turn the knob.

"_Come on! Move, move, move!" _A voice shouted from outside.

James and Katarina immediately moved back quietly, soon hearing the sound of sprinting from the guards that were just outside the room. James managed to peek through, seeing Culda's guards hustling down the hall as an officer continued to bark orders at them.

"Let's move! We got a demoness to find in this building and she's not just another pretty face! Culda wants her brought back alive… or dead if necessary!"

James mentally cursed at the words. He knew what the officer was talking about, but it also gave him some relief.

At least Evelynn was free, for the moment anyway.

"Alright, looks like we've got a majority of Culda's guards in the building looking for Evelynn. So given that she's most likely escaped, keep an eye out for her." James advised, getting nods from everyone. "Let's move fast… and punch hard, but also try to keep things quiet."

"That last part's gonna be difficult for me honey." Miss Fortune chuckled.

James rolled his eyes and put his hand on the doorknob yet again. He opened it and immediately raised his weapon, scanning his left first and then his right. Miss Fortune and Katarina followed through, the bounty hunter pressing herself against the wall, aiming in one direction with James doing the other way. Riven and Maddoc followed through with the others joining them. James turned to them all.

"Time to move. Knowing Culda, she's likely on the top floor in this building, meaning we've got over ten floors to clear out." James said. "I don't suppose you have any other secret passages?" He asked Leblanc who didn't even answer.

"We're right behind you James." Riven said, her blade held tightly.

James raised his weapon and started to advance down the hall, his squad keeping pace.

…

* * *

The words of Swain dwelled within Culda's mind, haunting her as she kept walking with Minh and some of her guards. She couldn't think straight. Perhaps injecting herself with Evelynn's blood only amplified her temper as she only had on a deadly scowl. The image of her being a ruler was fading… and was beginning to be replaced by a much darker, sinister picture.

Culda stopped her pacing.

"Minh." She said, stopping him and the others in her tracks.

"Yes milady?" He asked.

"Take Talon and continue to escort him down the building and stick to the plan. I have an urgent matter to attend to in the Grand Hall… alone." Culda said.

"But… Madam Culda?" Minh said concerned. "What about the lurking demoness?"

"Do not worry about her." Culda purred. "I'll be safe on my own. Now get moving."

"But-"

Culda turned around, giving Minh a glare that could freeze the depths of hell. He compressed his lips and nodded, escorting Talon away with the other guards. Culda was left alone in the hallway which was deathly silent despite the on-going battle outside. She looked at her uniform, noting the symbol of "The Grand General".

This was all she ever wanted before.

Now… she despised it.

Culda ripped off the symbol, looking at it with contempt as her palm began to illuminate. The symbol burned into nothing but ashes moments later, and Culda swiped her hand to rid the remnants of the substance.

…

* * *

The battle outside on the courtyard seemed to be changing hands between the two forces, Culda's loyal soldiers and personal guard against Du Couteau loyal soldiers was certainly something that wasn't common. What was truly baffling… to Culda's forces anyway, was that despite their slightly numerical superiority and maybe physical superiority, they began slowly losing to their opposition.

Despite Culda's orders to kill them, it wasn't that simple. The Du Couteau soldiers were using tactics and the distraction Maddoc's explosives created to their advantage.

Culda's forces were disorganized.

The soldiers with spears fought in clusters, using their weapons to cut through the enemy soldiers that got close enough. Those with arrows and the few that possessed stolen hextech guns, maintained surprisingly ranged superiority. Culda's guards fired back, but they seemed to be the ones taking more casualties.

James's tactics were winning the fight.

To make matters more difficult for Culda's forces, when a group of soldiers came in to give aid, they were blasted by magic with messy results. Culda's guards opened fire on the sight but found themselves just wasting ammo. Suddenly, a pool of blood was at their feet and a pale man with white hair emerged, holding up a blood clot that the guards saw for a moment before it exploded with fatal actions.

Vladimir chuckled and pointed in a direction with dozens of magical blasts flying past him as the battle kept raging on.

…

* * *

A guard's croak was heard with a small cry before she fell, or in this case, was dropped. Fresh blood pooled around her neck on the floor as a figure stepped over the body. Pink glowing lashers had blood dripping from them, and the woman cooed contently when she tasted the delicious fluid.

Evelynn's mind was still set on getting out of here, but she'd had a few run-ins with Culda's guards. The feeling of lurking in the shadows and taking her prey by surprise gave Evelynn a familiarrush, and tasting the blood only made it sweeter.

However, she couldn't falter forever. She wanted to find James, letting him know that she was alright and to just be in his loving arms again. The thought made her feel warm and her lips curved upwards at both sides.

The succubus's thoughts were interrupted when she heard approaching footsteps, but it wasn't just a single person. In fact, it sounded like a stampede of people were sprinting and Evelynn merged with the darkness, ready to attack these guards.

However, to her surprise, they ran past her, not even bothering to check the corner. Evelynn heard a grunt she was somewhat familiar with, seeing a man in a purple cloak being poorly dragged along by two guards with a large man overseeing his escort. Eventually, the sounds of sprinting footsteps faded away, leaving Evelynn alone again as her hearing adjusted to the calmness.

Then, slow footsteps were heard, and Evelynn exhaled quietly, this time choosing to peek out of the corner to see who it was. A faint scraping then sounded with Evelynn's eyes twitching at the annoying sound.

A woman's silhouette appeared at the end of the corridor as the sound grew clearer. Her steps were delicate and casual. Evelynn narrowed her eyes as she made out who the person was.

Crimson eyes slowly shifted to the direction of Evelynn who remained cloaked by the shadows. The woman stared down the hall for what felt like hours, but then, she slowly walked out of sight, continuing to scrap the wall with her hands.

Evelynn knew who it was, her talons glowing as her horns appeared atop her head. She was conflicted. What should she do?

Follow the woman who tried to kill James? Or follow the guards? Evelynn had a feeling that James had something to do with the commotion outside. That he was coming for her. Evelynn sighed. Culda was vulnerable, all alone in this dark hallway with a predator such as her. Evelynn could end this, make the bitch pay for what she did to James and to avenge Elise's death.

She sighed as she put her hands on her temple, mind becoming more conflicted by the moment.

…

* * *

James and his unit had been clearing out each floors with relative ease. The battle outside of the building was still occurring, but from the sounds of things, James's forces were gaining the advantage with Culda's forces being pushed back. Maddoc had taken the liberty of outfitting the entrances to the building with proximity explosives, some of them going off from a few guards and soldiers who tried to retreat.

They were now on the sixth floor with only a few floors being left until they reached the top where Culda presumably resided.

He'd been on point in each clearing of the rooms. Strangely enough, they didn't encounter as many guards as they expected. It didn't ease the tension at all, only adding more to the group. Upon reaching the doorway to the hall, James opened up the door, aiming his rifle straight ahead with Miss Fortune taking a position opposite of him. He gestured for the others to come out, Katarina taking position behind Sarah with Riven doing the same behind James. Maddoc and Leblanc were last before the soldiers and mages shuffled into the hallway with them. James opened a door, scanning the room with it being empty.

"Move up." He whispered.

They slowly advanced upward, weapons armed with the hallway being dimly lit with a tungsten orange light in only a few places. James slowly moved up to the next door, opening it again with the room devoid of activity. As he was checking, Miss Fortune examined the hallway ahead. She couldn't see very clearly given that most of the area was dark, but as her pupils adjusted, she noticed something.

A figure seemed to be moving, but it was twitching instead. Sarah, immediately curious, cautiously moved a few feet up. Katarina was looking at James and didn't notice that Miss Fortune had moved and when she saw the redhead moving, she practically blinked behind her.

"Sarah! What're you doing?!" She asked quietly.

James and everyone else heard the commotion, and he moved up to Sarah who was looking straight ahead. She pointed forward. "Look."

Katarina and James looked in the direction. With their minds only focused on who or what the situation was, they heard faint groaning from the direction Miss Fortune gestured to. Katarina's pupils made out the color, and when the groans became slightly louder, her eyes widened.

"Talon." She said to herself.

Without even thinking, The Sinister Blade bolted towards the figure with James not having the wherewithal to order her to stop, choosing to quickly tackle her down with Katarina grunting impatiently.

"W-Wait!" He snapped. "What're you doing?!"

"Let me go Holland!" Katarina spouted. "It's Talon!"

Through the woman's struggle, James made out the figure and recognised the unique cloak he was known to wear. He sighed and would release Katarina, but first had to say something to her.

"Don't go off like that again. Alright?" He asked. Katarina impatiently nodded, not taking his words to heart and the moment James released her, she was over at Talon in less than three seconds. She eagerly embraced him tightly, feeling relief and joy to finally see him alive.

James examined the large area with his rifle, realizing that it seemed to be like a lobby for different floors. The other floors could be seen up top and below to the entrance of the building itself with railings along the edges. He beckoned the others to come, having the ranged soldiers cover the other sides with Leblanc directing her members to the fourth one. Riven, Maddoc, Sarah, and Leblanc joined James and Katarina who had just taken off Talon's gag.

The group didn't notice that Katarina had stepped on a wire back in the hallway and that it was connected to an alarm of some sort.

"Talon. Talon, it's me. It's Katarina." She said cupping his face, worriedly looking at him.

Talon weakly opened his eyes, his brown hair disheveled and visible sweat along his face. He finally met his sisters' emerald eyes.

"Katarina…" He whispered.

He was wounded significantly and bounded up, but that didn't falter Katarina's glee.

Katarina kept embracing him after that, whimpering with a few sniffles. Riven felt her heart melt at the present situation, smiling at the rare moment of goodness she'd had in the last few days. She looked at Maddoc who was also smiling and James, despite the situation, also smiled, though it was weakly. Katarina finally remembered something else and her smile faded.

"Talon…? Where's Cassiopeia?" She asked.

Before Talon could respond, the lights on the whole floor immediately dimmed out. James and the others tensed up, taking cover behind the railings. Talon took a deep breath.

"Get… out of here." He mumbled.

"Talon." Katarina said with a serious tone. "Where's Cassiopeia?"

The assassin looked at his sister with sorrow. His pupils shifted away before going back. He slowly shook his head. Katarina's mouth gaped as the reality hit her. She put her hand on her hair as she tried to think this was just a dream, but it wasn't.

James grimaced and Miss Fortune put her hand on Katarina's shoulder. A thought hit Leblanc and she leaned towards Talon.

"Where's Swain?" She demanded.

The answer was the same as Katarina's. Talon sighed with a regretful look. Leblanc, who was usually sardonic, sarcastic, and generally care-free, felt something she rarely experienced.

Rage… Anger… Sorrow.

"No…" She said distressed.

"Leblanc…" James warned, having a feeling she was about to do something irrational.

"This isn't possible!" She snapped.

Leblanc disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, James blinking before cursing as he slammed the floor with his hand. He heard Katarina panting now and she was grazing her daggers together.

"I'm gonna kill them all. Every. Last. Fucking. One." She seethed

James saw Katarina stand up and he quickly grabbed her shoulders. The Sinister Blade immediately struggled against him. "Let me go!"

"Listen to me." He ordered.

"Let go!"

"Katarina, just listen!"

"Fuck you!" She yelled.

James growled and spun Katarina around, slamming her into the wall. "Listen to me Katarina! That's an order!" He said, staring right at Katarina's hard scowl, not being fazed or intimidated at all. "Your brother needs you. Alright? I won't stop you from slaughtering every last one of Culda's guards, but now is not the time…" He said sternly.

Katarina felt half of her anger get replaced by sorrow again. She tried to fight it, but James's words embedded themselves into her mind.

"Your brother needs you. I need you." He said softly. "We've all lost people close to us… but those who are responsible for those losses will answer for their crimes. Alright?"

Katarina's heavy breathing had all but calmed down. She nodded slowly, looking into James's eyes with an apologetic look. He patted her shoulder a few times and got back into position as Miss Fortune took the redheads hand.

The soldiers, save for the Black Rose members who disappeared when realising that Leblanc had vanished, regrouped with James. He gestured to hold their position before leaning down to Talon who was untied. Katarina was overcome with grief with Miss Fortune comforting her. Riven and Maddoc were beside James.

"Talon, what's going on?" He asked.

"Culda's guards." The assassin replied. "They wounded me and left me here likely as bait."

"Goddammit." James mumbled. "We gotta get back into the hallway. We're sitting ducks in here."

"But what if some asshole guards are just waiting outside here ready to gun us down?" Sarah asked with sarcasm.

Before James could reply, a faint creaking was heard. Near two Noxian soldiers, one of them turned around to see the knob of a door turning. Their eyes widened.

"Holland!" They whispered.

James looked at them before receiving a similar alert from a soldier to his right. James's heart was beating rapidly as he took in his options. He turned to Riven and Maddoc.

"Riven, Maddoc; you two cover that doorway." He said before turning to the soldier. "Carmine, Alee, cover that one; the rest of you, hold the line with me. Sarah, stay with Talon and Katarina."

They all nodded and Riven took positon next to the door with Maddoc on the other side. Carmine and Alee did the same with the other door as three soldiers covered their backs. Carmine aimed his hextech gun at the door while Alee had her weapon in a striking position.

Visible sweat trailed down their heads as the situation feel deathly silent. They were in near darkness, not being able to see the floors beneath or above them. Carmine kept aiming his weapon at the door.

As the tension kept growing, Alee blinked as she came to a realization. Slowly, the woman turned her head around, her eyes shifting up to the darkness of the higher ground. She examined the surroundings, and despite being unable to see further in, had a feeling that they were being watched.

She was correct.

Cloaked in the darkness, a floor above James's position, several of Culda's guards were standing, being helmetless to avoid being seen. They had their guns trained right in the direction of Carmine and Alee.

The knob turned fully, and it began to get pulled open slowly. Carmine's trigger finger was itching to shoot, and as Alee reached her conclusion, she noticed the slightly opened door… and the on-edge soldier.

"Wait!" She said.

Carmine's nerves were through the roof, and Alee's voice made his finger pull the trigger. A bullet was fired into the door, and the muzzle was briefly lit-up which illuminated the figures hiding in the darkness.

That was all the guards needed to see.

They raised their weapons a little higher and began to pepper Carmine and Alee with gunfire. They were both cut down brutally, blood popping from their fresh bullet wounds as flashes occurred. Some Noxian soldiers took cover, trying to return fire, but it only resulted in more being cut down. Pretty soon, debris and dust were flying everywhere from the gunfire.

"EVERYBODY FALL BACK!" James shouted.

He aimed his rifle upwards, returning fire with Miss Fortune doing the same alongside a few soldiers. Two guards were shot down with one being hit in the shoulder. They spun backward, but soon raised their gun and began to yell as they mowed down two more soldiers.

Riven and Maddoc were about to give their assistance, but the door they were guarding finally opened with one guard emerging. Riven quickly cut him down and Maddoc primed an explosive. He threw it at the elevated guards who noticed the action, taking cover from the explosion which allowed James's soldiers to traverse to better cover. Katarina moved Talon to a safer location, taking out her daggers as she seethed her teeth.

The Sinister Blade threw a dagger upward where it landed by the guards firing on their position. Katarina blinked to the dagger, and before the guards even noticed her, she already dealt with three of them before performing a powerful roundhouse kick to the fourth one. They were sent falling over the railing, landing on the bottom floor that was too dark to see, but an audible splat was all the proof she needed to know the deed was done.

However, more guards emerged from a nearby door and Katarina was too far to cut them down first and she was forced to take cover. She blinked down to rejoin her allies after a few moments of debating what to do.

Maddoc lobbed more explosives at the elevated guards, sending a few body parts flying as Miss Fortune peppered them with her pistols.

Riven heard another door nearby opening and three guards with swords came out. She took advantage of their obliviousness and confusion, striking down two with ease, but the last one reacted quick enough and locked his sword with hers. Riven felt him press his weight against her and she chose to back off, the guard mistaking this for weakness and he predictably raised his sword upward. When he brought it down, Riven blocked it with the guard pressing down again, but Riven swung their locked blades to the side, effectively taking him by surprise and stumbling back. She reeled back her blade and stabbed his torso, yanking it back out a moment later.

James continued to cut down a few guards, but with their position, and despite Maddoc hurling his explosives at them, it was a losing battle. Not to mention that most of the soldiers accompanying them were shot dead.

As he reloaded another clip, James could hear the shouts of guards from the hallway they'd entered in through. He groaned and looked opposite of the direction, seeing a room that hopefully wasn't occupied. Noticing the dwindling numbers of his soldiers, James made his choice.

"MADDOC!" He shouted. "TOSS ME AN EXPLSOVE! I'LL DRAW THEIR FIRE AND YOU ALL GET INSIDE THAT ROOM!" He ordered pointing to the doorway.

Maddoc did as he was ordered to and tossed James the object. Just at that moment, another doorway burst open with more guards holding rifles. They soon opened fire on their separated enemies.

"DAMMIT!" James shouted. "SARAH, BREAK DOWN THE DOOR AND EVERYONE GET INSIDE NOW!"

"JAMES!" Riven shouted as she and Maddoc were now pinned.

"Riven! Stay right there!"

"WE CAN'T STAY HERE MUCH LONGER!" Katarina yelled.

Maddoc, who chose to make his own decision, primed two of his explosives and blindly threw them in various directions. The explosions did cause confusion amongst the guards, but they didn't stop firing. Riven and Maddoc were forced to go down the other hallway, leaving James and the remainder of his team in the area. James resisted the urge to follow Riven and joined his allies in what counted as a safe spot.

Miss Fortune raised her boot and kicked open the door, revealing a lounge-like room. Unsurprisingly, she was tackled by a guard wielding a knife. Sarah managed to hold them back, though the knife was just inches away from her throat. She gritted her teeth and the guard balled her fist to punch the redhead, but Sarah brought her other hand up and hit their throat. The guard grunted with a gurgling noise and Sarah grabbed their neck, pushing her down and seizing the knife. The redhead let out a feral yell as she stabbed their neck three times.

Katarina helped Talon into the room, two more soldiers following in suite with James being the last one. He closed it but heard the shouts of guards just outside. He looked around frantically. Miss Fortune also heard the commotion and she noticed a nearby desk.

"Desk!" She shouted.

James holstered his rifle, moving to give assistance to Sarah who began to move the desk as the two Noxian soldiers held the door which began to get pounded on by the guards. They helped get the desk into its spot once the two of them were close enough. A lone soldier stayed with Sarah who kept herself braced against the door as the other soldier went to check on Talon with Katarina. James took a moment to breathe, hoping to calm the anger and frustration that came from being forced apart from Riven and Maddoc.

He should've ordered them to immediately fallback after finding Talon. Why didn't he do that? If they'd done that, he'd probably have a lot more live bodies with him instead of dead ones. James only had himself to blame.

"HONEY!" Miss Fortune shouted, snapping James out of his thoughts.

James immediately moved to Sarah's position, pressing himself against the desk alongside the other two. The guards were shouting and continued to pound against the door, kicking it in hopes of breaking the thing down. Miss Fortune dug her feet into the floor, hell-bent on not letting them through.

Then, the banging came to a stop. James and Sarah exchanged looks along with the soldier. Sarah eyed the door before reaching a conclusion.

"MOVE!" She shouted.

Bullets began to get fired into the door with the three figures diving out of the way, but the Noxian soldier was cut down in the process. James landed on his back, drawing his rifle and returning fire on the doorway, using a couch as cover to avoid hopefully being shot. Sarah did the same, both of them creating holes in the door with their guns. The soldier tending to Talon joined them and the trio managed to mow down numerous guards given the bottle-neck spaced outside of the room.

However, the strategy of the guards soon changed and they concentrated their fire on the doorway in more tactical and strategic motions. James and Sarah were forced to retreat with the last soldier being shot dead.

"Goddammit!" Sarah cursed. "We gotta get out of this room!"

James reached down to a clip to reload his gun and felt the explosive he ordered Maddoc to give him. The man thought about priming it right there, but the explosion wouldn't be enough. James looked around for anything that might help. He noticed a fridge and a nearby propane tank.

He got an idea and ran towards the objects.

"Sarah!" He yelled. "Move the desk!"

"WHAT?!"

"JUST DO IT! TRUST ME!"

Sarah groaned with frustration, but began to move the desk with Katarina finally choosing to give her assistance after tending to Talon's wounds. James grabbed the propane tank, breaking the valve off it and carrying it to the fridge. He opened the door and placed it inside before grasping the object and began to pull.

"Sarah! Katarina! Help!" He exclaimed.

Miss Fortune dropped her guns and moved to the left side of the fridge while Katarina gave her assistance on the other side. The trio moved it with audible grunts towards the door as the guards kept shooting, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off the metal plating.

However, one guard shot the area close to Miss Fortune, and then… a splat of crimson appeared alongside the bounty hunters head.

It grazed the floor and Miss Fortune was sent falling flatly back onto the dusty ground. James looked at her body and his temper flared.

With a vengeful yell, James rapidly fired his rifle at the door, not caring if his aim was completely accurate. When his clip ran dry, James pulled out his pistol, firing it just as fast if not quicker. He cut down a few guards on the other side and finally, the fridge hit the door. James and Katarina changed positions and he took out the explosive.

"On the count of three, I'm gonna pop this in and then we'll turn the fridge!" He said receiving a quick nod from Katarina. "ONE, TWO, THREE!"

James primed the explosive and popped open the door of the fridge. Both he and Katarina then turned the fridge to the door with groans and then jumped away.

An explosion came from the fridge that created an inferno that blasted out into the hallway, engulfing the remaining guards in n inferno as they screamed in pain. The fridge was sent flying back into the wall with a loud crash as the whole room filled with debris and dust. Katarina was knocked back against the wall, her head taking the brunt of it with her falling unconscious. James was flat on his back, his vision soon fading.

…

* * *

Evelynn's pacing stopped when she heard the explosion. The floor shook beneath her and she put a hand on the wall to keep her balance. The succubus remained standing there until the shaking finally stopped, silence falling upon the woman. Approaching footsteps could be heard and Evelynn's instincts kicked in. She prepared to attack, but when a pale woman turned around the corner, Evelynn eased down slightly.

"Evelynn." Leblanc said.

The succubus snorted. "What're you doing here Leblanc? Where's James?" She asked, suddenly realizing that if Leblanc was here, James likely was too.

The Deceiver sighed with annoyance. "Now is now the time for your emotions to cloud your judgement Evelynn." She said monotonously. "What have you been doing since you escaped?"

Evelynn growled. "Trying to get out of here obviously."

"You haven't even tried to kill Culda?" Leblanc asked.

"I considered it, but I chose to find James instead." Evelynn snapped. "Now tell me where he is."

"You foolish demon. You would rather reconnect with James instead of killing Culda? The one responsible for all of this? The one who ruined his life?" Leblanc said bluntly. "Love truly has swayed you from your purpose."

"Answer my question." Evelynn demanded. "Where. Is. James."

Leblanc's scoff was the only warning Evelynn had before golden chains shot from the walls and enveloped her. The succubus's eyes flared as she immediately grunted and struggled to escape. Other members of The Black Rose widened their eyes with confusion. One stepped forward.

"Madam Leblanc? What're you doing?" He asked.

"Something that should've been done a long time ago." Leblanc snapped. Her playful attitude was no longer existent. Her rationality replaced with the urge to kill Culda after what she did to Swain. The Deceiver put a golden chain over Evelynn's mouth to prevent her from spouting any crass words. The member put his hand on Leblanc's arm with her tensely looking at him.

"With respect, I do not believe using Holland's lover against her own will is a good idea. Holland may find out about this." He advised.

"Good! Let him find out!" Leblanc said bluntly. "I do not care if he does. So not as long as this bitch continues to live after what she did!"

The boy's eyes showed horror. "You said you were sorry that you couldn't save his former partner. Do not let history repeat itself, madam."

Leblanc's amber orbs kept staring at him, and with a whooshing sound, the boy felt some pierce his abdomen. Blood spurted from his mouth and he fell to the floor, clutching the wound as his fellow members looked in horror. One of them moved to help, but Leblanc extended her staff to halt them.

"Leave him!" She commanded. "If any of you have objections to my actions, speak now."

Everyone remained silent, too surprised by their leaders' sudden actions. Leblanc huffed and continued to journey, dragging a trapped Evelynn along with her as the boy was left on the ground, slowly bleeding out.

…

* * *

Prior to the explosion, Riven and Maddoc were forced to run away from the fight as numerous guards were firing upon them and began to pursue them down the corridor.

"How are we gonna get back there if we keep running?!" Maddoc asked.

"Focus on staying alive first!" Riven shot back.

The hallway was thankfully a bit more lit, but it was still quite dark and the duo was doing their best to keep ahead of their pursuers. After rounding another corner, Riven and Maddoc heard the shouts of guards ahead of them with their pursuers still present from behind. The Exile noticed a door and grabbed Maddoc, pulling him inside and closing the door far enough to make it seem like it was shut without making any noise. They braced against the wall, Riven holding on tight to her sword. She was breathing heavy and steadily, eyes locked onto the door, ready to engage the guards outside.

They could hear the chatter of soldiers outside, wondering where they could've gone before one of them suggested checking every room between the hallways. Before they could begin however, an explosion was heard with a rumble of furniture. The guards outside tensed up, soon debating on whether to investigate the source. Riven closed her eyes, taking a deep inhale as she listened to her frantic heartbeat.

"I want you two to check out what that was! The rest, clear these rooms!"

"_Fuck."_ Riven mentally cursed.

The door was abruptly kicked open, Riven not hesitating in killing the first guard with ease. However, she had to step back from the sweep by the other guards. Three shuffled in, attacking the lone girl, but Maddoc was unnoticed. He tackled the last one against the wall where he quickly punched their neck, stunning them and stealing their axe. Maddoc used the handle to strike the guards windpipe which nearly crushed it, the man sliding down onto the floor with pitiful sounds.

The sounds of blades clanking caught Maddoc's attention and he saw Riven struggling against two guards. Maddoc yelled as he raised the axe up, digging the sharp end into the female guards neck. She was amazingly alive, but made pained, audible sounds. She dropped her weapon, grabbing the axes head to pull it out, but Maddoc used that as leverage to pull the woman down where he yanked the axe out and raised it up, embedding the blade right into the guards torso. Riven was still fighting with the other soldier and Maddoc chose to tackle him down, both men landing on the floor with Maddoc stealing the guards sword and stabbing him with it.

Despite the situation, Riven was actually impressed. Her brows were high with wide eyes and Maddoc looked at her.

"Nice job there Maddoc." She said with a nod.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." He chuckled.

They exited the room, but then heard footsteps from both directions again. Riven and Maddoc only exchanged nods before both parting to deal with their attackers. Grasping the axe tightly against his chest, Maddoc closed his eyes before swinging at the figure that turned the corner.

_ **CLANK** _

Maddoc opened his eyes, expecting to see a dead soldier, but instead… he was looking up at a large man.

A familiar man.

"Oh… it's you." Minh said exasperatedly.

Maddoc recognized the voice and he pulled back the axe, but Minh was quicker and grabbed his weapon wielding arm. He squeezed it harshly and Maddoc groaned painfully.

Minh seemed to be very unamused with Maddoc being present, instead looking at Riven who was engaged with a single guard. Under his helmet, Minh smirked.

"Perhaps we should get her attention." He said with evident malice.

Maddoc furiously tried to get free from Minh's grasp, but it was futile. Minh yanked his arm outward and elbowed the center of it with a loud snap. Maddoc let out a pained yell and Riven, after knocking down her assailant, looked back to see the scene presented.

"Maddoc!" She shouted.

A yell from behind forced Riven to turn around and block the sword from the guard. She felt anger dwell within her and she started to strike heavily, yelling angrily all the while. Minh could see this.

"How about a little more?"

He grabbed Maddoc's axe and raised it up. Maddoc could only watched as Minh embedded it into his chest, the young man letting out a blood-curdling scream as Minh laughed maliciously. Riven winced, but finally managed to kill her attacker and immediately bolted towards Minh who held Maddoc like a ragdoll. In a swift motion, another snap was heard with a crack followed by a blood-curdling scream.

Riven stopped in her tracks, eyes wide and now glistening.

Maddoc's arm was now mangled. Minh had shattered the bones there, and Maddoc's mouth began to overflow with blood with the axe still embedded in his chest. Minh yanked it out, throwing it over his head and then looking at Riven. He laughed coldly and carelessly tossing Maddocs body at Riven's feet. The Exile's blade hit the floor as she fell to her knees, her hands moving out to hold her up as her front fell forward. Maddoc's breathing was ragged… and almost lifeless. Riven's lips quivered as she put a shaky hand on him.

"Maddoc…" She whimpered.

"Now you're both broken." Minh sneered, choosing to let the two have a little moment.

"Riven…" Maddoc murmured.

The Exile sniffled and applied pressure to his wound, but with the amount of blood he was losing, it was an uphill battle. Riven did what she could and ripped off her hood, applying pressure to the wound with Maddoc's free arm doing what he could to give assistance. Minh had seen enough.

"Ah love… such a dreadful bond." Minh scoffed. "This is just beyond wrong. How did a girl like you, who killed her mother during birth I should add, go from being so strong and tenacious as a child who was an absolute killing machine to caring for a young man too weak to defend himself? It sickens me."

Riven didn't even hear his words. She was trying to stop the bleeding as much as possible.

"I almost admired you Riven." Minh continued, sounding regretful this time. It soon turned to taunting. "But when I saw you choose to defend the late slut of James Holland… I knew you weren't strong. Not anymore."

Riven's sorrow disappeared after hearing those words. Her mind was more clear now. For a moment, she focused on one thing.

"Jade…"

While Minh didn't say it, it was certainly who he was referring to. Riven's tears stopped, and she looked at Maddoc who, despite being mortally wounded, was thinking the same thing she was. It was like Déjà vu for them. With a strain, Maddoc leaned up a little bit.

"Kick his ass…" He whispered.

Maddoc fell back with a groan, and Riven stood up. Her fists clenched and she took her broken blade once more. Minh cocked up a brow and smiled under his helmet. He spun his cleaver and pressed the handle against his side as he watched Riven stand to her full height. She slowly turned around, the crimson red eyes meeting the helmet of Minh.

The Exile growled and charged Minh who stood still. She leaped into the air and thrust her blade at the man. Minh raised his cleaver, hitting aside Riven's blade with the girl spinning around and swiping at his head. Minh blocked it as they stared each other down briefly.

Minh pushed her away and aimed to decapitate Riven who crouched down. He used the handle to block her upward thrust and when she pulled it back, Minh slammed the handle into Riven's head with her getting knocked down with a roll. Minh pushed his advantage and raised the cleaver above his head with both hands, bringing it down onto Riven who used her blade to stop the would-be-fatal strike. Digging her feet into the floor, Riven pushed back against Minh with surprising strength. Realizing this, Minh yanked back his weapon as Riven lunged forward quicker than he thought.

The Exile slashed horizontally with Minh being forced back. She jumped forward again, Minh blocking it with his cleaver, but Riven reeled back her foot and sent it into his torso with such force that Minh was forced back even further. He was too slow to stop Riven's next attack as she uppercut her blade right into his helmet. Minh let out a yell as he fell down, the helmet having fallen off with an open cut along his face, but he also rolled and landed in a combat ready stance.

Riven repeated her attack, but Minh had anticipated her patterns and when Riven lunged forward, Minh locked his cleaver with hers before swiping it to the right and then charged against Riven, pressing his armored shoulder against her chest. Riven croaked and stumbled back, Minh pushing against her as he did a tactic like Darius, leaping up into the air with his cleaver gripped tightly. Riven's eyes widened and she used the flat of her sword to block the heavy strike. She staggered while Minh was relentless, sweeping his axe across with the girl falling on her backside as she barely dodged it. He practically roared as he defiantly raised his cleaver, slamming it down onto Riven who had rolled out of the way thankfully, though her clothing was ripped as it'd gotten caught.

The Captain found that his cleaver was embedded into the floor and Riven stood up, slashing vertically at him. Minh reeled his head back, but his cheek was grazed by the blade and it started to bleed. Riven brought her foot up and performed a powerful kick that sent Minh head-first into the wall. He had to roll to avoid Riven's horizontal strike and retrieved his cleaver. The two of them continued to clash, angry yells from both, but it was mostly Minh. Riven was being strangely quiet.

Being fed up with being more on the defense, Minh slammed his weapon against the flat of Riven's and locked them once more. This time, he threw his away with Riven's also falling out of her grip, though it went quite further than Minh's did. The Exile was caught off guard and suddenly felt a pain in her abdomen.

Minh had kneed her with all his strength, and Riven felt her oxygen get knocked out of her at the strike. She felt like she was about to fall, but felt Minh's hand grab her head. He butted heads with her, uppercut her chin, and with a yell, sent a roundhouse kick into her cheek.

Riven let out a cry and felt her back skid along the floor of the hallway. She could only make incoherent noises before finally coming to a stop. Her breathing was shallow and she winced as she slowly sat up. She could see Minh wiping some blood off his cheek, but it was a pointless action. They were both exhausted, Minh's breathing changing from heavy to light.

He slowly picked up his cleaver, staggering to Riven who looked at her blade which she happened to land next to. She weakly grabbed it.

"Seems like Déjà vu." Minh said tiredly before chuckling. "You, wounded, helpless… trying to protect a weakling…"

The Exile's throat felt too hoarse to speak, or even growl. Minh's words were making her blood boil though.

"It would seem like history will repeat… itself." Minh droned. "Only this time there won't be any pleasure for my soldiers… or me." He said with a snicker on the last part.

There it was again. The person she knew he was talking about. But this time… Riven felt something else. She heard something.

"_**GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! RIVEN! RIVEN HELP! PLEASE!"**_

The Exile blinked, and when her eyes opened, they briefly flashed. Jade's voice had echoed through her mind, and it made Riven's grip tighten. She felt adrenaline course through her veins, but there was something else as well. Her mind came to a realization of what it was.

Her spirit.

An old feeling returned to Riven. It was reminiscent of her nature as a killing machine for Noxus, but it held an entirely different purpose and meaning for her. It was the urge to kill, but it was to spill the blood of the guilty and protect the weak. Riven heard Minh stop walking. He was right in front of her. His face was a bloody mess and he licked some up with his tongue before raising his cleaver in an execution-style manner.

"Tell Jade I send my regards."

He slammed the weapon down onto Riven, expecting to hear a purge of the flesh… but it didn't happen. All he got was a clank, and a foreign sound. Minh blinked before coming to the realization. His weapon was parred on Riven's sword, but it was glowing green, and it was…

"Impossible." He said baffled.

"**I am awakened."**

Her voice seemed to echo through the halls. Riven looked up at Minh who was still baffled. She felt adrenaline course through her veins, her expression becoming a scowl before swiping at Minh who had to jump back given the new range Riven's weapon had. She stood up, her face illuminated by the greenish glow.

The blade was whole again.

Energy crackled around the broken pieces. The size of the weapon seemed like it would break the arm of the most battle-hardened warrior, but Riven was holding it with just one. Prior to breaking the sword, Riven felt a burden when she held it, but after she broke it that day on the beach in Ionia, she felt that weight lifted off.

One would expect her to feel that weight again, haunted by the countless lives she'd taken with said weapon, but she didn't. Karma's words rang through her head. The comforting words of the Ionian leader seemed to emit from the blade itself.

"_What is broken… can be reformed."_

"My spirit is not lost." She said to herself. "Violence… to end violence. A necessary strike."

And the first necessary strike she'd do with her newfound spirit… was to make Minh pay for his actions against Jade.

Riven held the blade with both hands and lunged at Minh who had no choice but to pray his weapon wouldn't break and he closed the distance. Their weapons clashed again, but this time, Riven was far more aggressive and her empowered attacks forced Minh to back up.

"You raped her... and then you killed her!" Riven yelled as she kept assaulting Minh who could only remain on the defensive side. "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!" She screamed.

When Riven lashed at Minh again, he parred it, but the Exile quickly raised her foot up and kicked him back with a stumble. She seized the vulnerable moment, thrusting her blade into his abdomen, but her aim was slightly off with Minh still getting wounded. He exclaimed in pain and swiped his cleaver at her. Riven easily avoided the horizontal attack and jammed her blade into his shoulder, Minh letting out a louder howl of pain. She yanked it back and raised it above her head, intending to finish him off once and for all. With a strained groan, Minh raised his cleaver to par the attack.

Riven's blade broke his weapon, but she also missed her intended target. Minh lunged at Riven, expecting to easily tackle her down with his weight, but Riven held her ground. She was only pushed back a few feet, gritting her teeth as Minh growled. She head-butted him and he stumbled back once more. Riven raised her blade to her side and charged Minh who had no weapon to stop her.

A slicing sound was heard with Minh's scream as the end of Riven's blade poked out through his back, blood splattering all over the floor. The Exile was panting heavily and looked at Minh who was in clear pain, but he glared defiantly at her. In a final effort, he grabbed the flat of Riven's blade and pushed it further into him. Riven didn't know what he was doing until she felt herself get forced to follow given her grip. Before she could pull out, Minh grabbed her throat and began to strangle her with all his might.

"YES I DID! I RAPED AND KILLED HER! AND NOW, YOU AND THAT RUNT WILL JOIN HER!" He roared.

Riven's face turned red as her throat was practically crushed. With a breathless cry, she kicked Minh's wound which made his grip loosen slightly. Riven took her hands off her blade, pushing off Minh's hands with hers and in a swift motion, yanked the blade out of him. She then horizontally waved it at Minh, and three miniature blades flew from the sword.

They made contact with Minh's significantly wounded body, and he let out a final grunt of pain.

He felt cold… and tired. The Captain was rasping, looking down at the objects embedded into his bleeding torso. He looked at Riven one last time before falling flat on the ground, defeated and dead.

Riven dropped her blade, falling to her knees to catch her breath. Her throat was especially sore, her breathing ragged and grotesque. Her blade returned to it's broken state, but she didn't care.

"Maddoc…"

She turned around, seeing his body that remained in the same spot he had her leave him in. He didn't seem to be moving. Riven bolted right over, coming down onto him and checking for a pulse.

"Maddoc?" She whispered.

"You did it…" He said, voice tired and a quiet whisper. "You killed him."

"How are you feeling?" She asked anxiously.

Maddoc attempted to speak, but he coughed up blood instead. Riven groaned worriedly and wiped his mouth clean. His chest wound hadn't exactly improved, but it was less bad than before.

"Can you stand?" She asked.

"Just… J-just set me against the wall." He muttered.

The Exile's heart was beating against her chest and when she helped Maddoc up, he groaned in pain, but sighed when he rested against the wall. More blood leaked from his chest, Riven covering it with her torn hood.

"You… you gotta leave me. I can't fight." Maddoc said.

"I am not leaving you here." Riven said sternly.

"Riven…" Maddoc murmured. "James needs you. You've come this far for him… don't throw it away just for me."

"Maddoc, I'm not lea-"

"Riven."

"I can't lose anyone e-!"

Maddoc leaned forward with silent pain, capturing Riven's lips in a kiss. She was taken off-guard, but whimpered into the motion, a tear sliding down her cheek as the kiss lasted for an eternity for her. She parted from his lips, Maddoc's unbroken arm raising its hand up to Riven's chin.

"Riven… if you don't leave me, you'll lose a lot more than just me." He said with sorrow. Riven sniffled and wiped her nose, her puffy eyes showing sadness. Her shoulders slumped down.

"You said that I wouldn't lose you." She said forlornly. "We both said that to eachother. We were to take care of eachother."

"And we did." Maddoc croaked. "We watched over one another, kept them safe for the most part of this journey. But we also knew that one of us may not possibly return after this was over."

Riven's eyes released more tears as she whimpered, burying her face in her hands. Maddoc raised up his hand, taking one of hers and firmly gripping it. The Exile didn't look at him.

"Do you remember Riven?" Maddoc asked. "What you said… to Jade that night?"

The Exile sniffled and wiped her face before cupping Maddoc's hand again with her other. She recalled the words, and her mouth briefly twitched with a sad smile. Riven slowly nodded. Maddoc smiled back.

"Tell me what you said. Please." He said.

Riven recalled the words in a shaky, broken voice.

_"Your world can change in the blink of an eye. All it takes is one event, one unexpected event, and suddenly the world as_ _you know it... is changed forever. The one that you held dear, the one you held close is just washed away into a sea of memories. They may be gone… but they're not forgotten. They wouldn't want you to grieve for the remainder of your days. They'd want you to have a rich, full life."_

Maddoc's small smile became a grin briefly. His hand became tighter on Riven's and she matched it.

"Riven… you told Jade to live a happy life… for James." He stated. "Now… it's time for you to do the same… for me…"

The Exile's lips quivered as the reality she desperately didn't want to happen was slowly unfolding. "Maddoc… I don't want you to go. I'm not ready to say goodbye." Her voice hoarse.

"Goodbyes are not forever Riven… Goodbyes are not the end." Maddoc said. "They simply mean _I'll miss you… until we meet again_." He said with a long breath.

Riven felt his hand unfold within hers, and she felt a wave of sorrow wash all over her. The Exile saw Maddoc's head tilt back as his breathing slowed down. She cupped his head and turned him to her.

"Maddoc?"

His mouth twitched with a smile. Maddoc's eyes slowly began to close.

"I'll tell Jade… that you said… hi."

Maddoc exhaled another breath. His final… and last breath. Riven froze as his eyes closed fully, the man drifting off to a sleep he'd likely never wake from again. The Exile's body shook as the newfound reality reached her mind.

The only thing she focused on now… was expelling her sorrow, and she pressed Maddoc's body against hers as she cradled him.


	27. The Final Confrontation

Evelynn continued to shout muffled curses at Leblanc who kept traversing through the hall that were devoid of Culda's guards. The Deceiver was growing annoyed with the succubus's constant cursing. She stopped her pacing and turned around, glaring at Evelynn.

"If you don't shut up now, every damn guard that Culda has left will be crawling all over us. So be quiet."

Evelynn glared, shouting back more muffled words and Leblanc took the chain covering her mouth off.

"Take me to James! You left him behind you bitch!" She snarled.

"Oh hardly." Leblanc said. "There's too much at stake right now for us to bicker about. Culda is cornered Evelynn. She has little-to-no allies left. Tell me, do you really want to throw out this chance of slaying her to save your lover who can handle twenty of her guards alone?"

The Agony's Embrace didn't reply this time, looking away from Leblanc who leaned closer to grab her attention. Evelynn slowly looked back.

"She's responsible for the death of Elise." Leblanc said somberly. "I remind you that I'm familiar with your relationship with her. Culda had her brute Sion murder Elise in cold-blood."

Evelynn sighed without a verbal response. Her cursing seemed to have all but faded now. Leblanc could see this.

"I'm certain if James was in your position, he'd likely do the same to avenge the death of someone so close. That's why you're helping him after all right? Why you fell for him? Not just because he presumably fucked your slutty ass so good anymore, but for other reasons, no?"

Again, Evelynn didn't offer a response. Her brow raised as her expression softened.

Leblanc smirked.

…

* * *

James was still flat on his back, his armor dusty and damaged. The room was filled with a haze of grey, the door destroyed. James's eyes slowly opened, and he quietly groaned as he struggled to sit up straight. He observed ahead, seeing the bodies of Talon, Katarina, and Miss Fortune laying about at the other end of the room. Katarina seemed to be conscious but had no energy with Talon being in no better state. Sarah wasn't showing any signs of life.

"Sarah." He muttered.

James stood up, pacing towards the bounty hunter who didn't move. He put his hand on her throat, listening for a pulse.

He felt a heartbeat, and he almost exclaimed with joy.

"What the hell happened here?!" A voice said from outside.

James looked back at the doorway, his eyes wide, but then he heard a groan from the woman below him. Immediately James turned back to Sarah and put his hand over her mouth. The woman's eyes flew open with shock and she put her hands on his arm to push him off but realized it was only James moments later.

"Shh." He said putting his index finger in front of his mask. He gestured to the door and Sarah heard the rummaging. Miss Fortune calmed down from her mute panic and she nodded slowly. James took his hands off her mouth with Sarah's being agape to show that she was in pain. James noticed that her left ear had been hit and she'd also been shot in the far left of her abdomen. The wounds weren't leaking blood at a quickening rate thankfully.

"Can you walk?" He whispered.

"Y-Yeah, I think so." Miss Fortune strained. "Just... just help me up."

James helped Sarah to her feet, the redhead's body slumping at first but eventually holding i's own.

"Check the room! Make sure they're all dead in there!" The voice from outside said.

James quickened his pace, Sarah grumbling as he brought her over to an exhausted Katarina. She looked at them with tired eyes and James set Sarah down next to her.

"Stay right here." He said. "I'll take care of these guards."

The man took his sidearm, bracing against the wall next to the door. The approaching footsteps drew James to the conclusion of there only being two. Seemed easy for him.

Raising his sidearm, James saw the first guard step in and immediately shot him. He moved to shoot the second guard, but they'd moved to cover, and James wasted a shot. The gun clicked this time and James didn't anticipate that. The guard showed himself again and charged James with a sword. Thinking quickly, James stepped to the side with his torso getting cut. He kicked the sword out of the guards' hand and sent an uppercut to their chin which knocked the helmet off. James then began to strike his face with the grip with the guard being forced to pace back into a wall. James attempted another strike, but the guard blocked it and James grabbed their shoulders with the intention to throw them to the floor. However, the guard was stronger, and he turned the tables, throwing James into a nearby cabinet that broke from the impact.

The guard advanced on him, but heard a cry to his right, turning to see Miss Fortune charging him with a bottle and she smashed it right into his eye, glass shards shredding the skin. The guard angrily growled to block out the pain and he kneed Sarah before slamming his fists onto her back and then throwing her into the wall. The guard stumbled and fell to his knees as he reached for his sword, but James tackled him from behind and they fell to the floor. The guard elbowed James off him with the latter sprawling on the floor. The guard grabbed his sword and clumsily flipped himself over to simply slice James's stomach, but he'd managed to move. When the guard moved to sit up, James kicked him right back down and jumped him, stealing the sword and raising it up.

As he brought it down, the guard moved his palm to stop the blade. It cut through his hand but didn't go any further with his other hand reaching up and beginning to choke James. The man struggled to escape with croaks, but the guard was firmly holding him in place with a wolfish grin.

In a desperate act, James took one hand off the handle and began to pummel against it instead. The force pushed the guard's hand back down with the blade finally getting close enough to pierce the skin. The guard yelped painfully, and his hand on James's throat loosened. The man repeated the action, sending the blade in deeper, and on his third hit, sent the sword in deep enough for the kill.

With his assailant dead, James fell off and laid on the floor, catching his breath. He slowly looked to his left, seeing that Miss Fortune was slumped against the wall, but she was alive. He weakly smiled, looking the other way to see Katarina helping Talon to his feet. James got up finally, walking over to Sarah who he helped up with a grunt from her. Katarina placed Talon on a table with Miss Fortune taking the other spot.

James began to look around for supplies but felt Katarina take his hand. He looked at her and she was smirking.

"That was some quick thinking there Holland." She said with gratitude. "And thanks for… you know, earlier. I'm sorry about my actions. Forgive me."

James sighed, putting his hand on her shoulder and pulling her towards him where their foreheads touched. "There's nothing to forgive Katarina. Do not worry." He said. "I'm… I'm sorry about Cassiopeia."

The Sinister Blade exhaled again. "Thanks James."

Katarina went to look for supplies to bandage up Talon and Sarah while James examined her ear. It had dried blood on it and had been chipped even. Sarah grunted when he touched it.

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"Could be worse. A little more to the right and it'd have been fatal." James answered.

Miss Fortune chuckled. "They don't call me Miss Fortune for nothing honey."

James hummed. Some footsteps were heard outside of the room yet again and James whipped around in a fighting stance, but eased down when realizing that it was-

"Riven?" He asked.

"James…" She replied.

James sprinted towards the Exile, embracing her tightly with relief as Riven grunted, returning the hug appropriately. "Thank the Gods you're alright."

"I take it you're responsible for the explosion? And for this?" She asked referring to the burnt corpses of the guards. James chuckled and nodded.

He parted from the embrace, looking over Riven to see another familiar face. Well, expecting it anyway. James's brows furrowed. "Riven? Where's Maddoc?"

The Exile looked at James blankly before sighing and shaking her head. She wiped her eye and whimpered. James got the message, and he sighed as his fists clenched.

"I tried." Riven whimpered. "I tried to save him, but his wounds were too great. He lost a lot of blood, and he begged me to leave him. I didn't leave him… not until he passed in my arms."

"Oh God. Oh fuck no." James said before taking a deep inhale.

Miss Fortune and Katarina had heard the news as well. Katarina blinked and bit her lip. Miss Fortune had on a look of sorrow. She didn't know Maddoc as well as the others, but that didn't stop her from feeling sad. James felt anger surge through his body once more.

"It's my fault he's dead Riven." He said sadly. The Exile looked shocked. "I shouldn't have distanced you two so far from my position. Fuck, I shouldn't have stayed in that area. It was a clear deathtrap."

Riven took his hand. James's eyes met hers. Riven's look sent a wordless message to James, and he sighed. Riven smiled with sorrow. She released her grip on his hand as her eyes started glistening.

"He was a fine soldier." James said. "He always stood by in the grimmest situations. So we'll make sure that his death is avenged… along with everyone whose lives were taken by Culda."

Riven nodded firmly while her eyes glistened. Katarina rubbed the flats of her daggers together. Sarah would've raised her pistols, but the wound in her torso prevented her from doing any abrupt movements.

"Well, we're still on the sixth floor." James said. "Shouldn't be too many left before we reach Culda's location."

"But we still have no idea how many of her guards are snooping around here." Sarah said.

"Doesn't matter, they'll all die either way." Katarina snarled.

"Can't be too many of them left." Riven chimed. "I managed to kill their captain, and with Culda presumably on the top floor, she's probably left them disorganized."

A pained groan could be heard from the hallway and everyone looked at the doorway. James looked through, seeing a member of the Black Rose staggering against the wall, clutching their stomach. James noticed a dark fluid drip onto the floor.

"Hey." He said stepping out.

"Holland…" The mage said hoarsely.

"You have some nerve coming back down here after abandoning us son." James said bluntly. He gave assistance to the mage and limped him into the room. James placed him down on another table as Katarina only glared. "What happened to you?"

The Black Rose member inhaled and then coughed up some blood, James wincing and wiping their mouth with a cloth. Riven chose to grab some supplies, beginning to bandage up the wounded boy.

"It was Leblanc. She… She's lost control." He said. "Holland, we found Evelynn."

James's eyes widened. "You what?!"

"Yeah, we found her." He repeated.

"Then where the Hell is she?! Why isn't she with you?!"

"Leblanc, she's upset over the presumed demise of Swain. She ran into Evelynn and demanded that she'd come with us to confront Culda. When she refused, Leblanc trapped her in golden chains and dragged her along. I believe she… she intends to use her as bait."

James's eyes widened, and his fists clenched. The boy could see unnatural fury and anger fuel the man's body. He began to splinter the table.

"Bu-But I was against it!" He croaked. "She wounded me and left me for dead."

That only prevented James from unleashing his anger on the mage. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He fell deathly silent suddenly and everyone else did too. James looked at each of his allies.

"Riven, Katarina, you're with me. Sarah, you stay here with Talon and the mage. You're all too wounded to move."

Miss Fortune glared at James. "Oh, like hell I'm going to stay here! I've been itching for a piece of Culda Graves for a while now and don't think that one bullet wound's going to stop me!"

James groaned. "You're too wounded! You're gonna slow us down!"

"This is no time to argue honey!" Sarah retorted.

Their bickering was cut short when the door at the end of the hallway was heard getting kicked open. Shouts from guards could be heard along with rapid gunfire.

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! FALL BACK!"

In the hallway, the remainder of Culda's guards were practically stumbling over one another as they were pursued by the soldiers loyal to the Du Couteaus. James saw them burst into the area, not bothering to observe the pile of burnt corpses. The guards disappeared into another hallway with the soldiers stopping to check on the pile of bodies.

"What the hell happened here?" A soldier asked.

"Hey! We're in here!" James called out.

The soldier looked up with alarm and his mouth gaped. He turned back to his colleagues. "Over here! We found Holland and his group!"

"We need a medic!" James said.

The soldier shouted the order back at the others in the hallway and soon, several medics began to run toward the room, taking out their supplies. They tended to the Black Rose member along with Talon and Sarah. James was relieved for a change at the numerous allies that surrounded him. Katarina and Riven stood beside him as the medics got to work with other soldiers creating a perimeter on the floor.

"Well, finally some good luck for a change." Katarina chuckled.

James hummed, but that was it. His mind was focused on finding Evelynn and he wanted to move. He noticed a man in unique attire appear in the hallway with dark cloaked figures. The crimson eyes saw James.

"Nice to see you're alive Holland." Vladimir said with a cheerful yet sarcastic sounding tone. He noticed Leblanc not being around, but he didn't seem concerned. "I don't suppose you know where Leblanc is?"

James exhaled sharply. "She's got Evelynn, and she intends to use her as bait against Culda."

Vladimir blinked, but his expression remained the same. "Well, that's unfortunate."

James became easily annoyed by the man's casualness. He almost wanted to straight-up club the damn guy to the floor. "Well good job on pushing back Culda's forces. Did any of the soldiers surrender?"

"A few, but her guards didn't even falter once. There's only a handful of them left of the outside force." Vladimir replied.

As James and Vladimir kept conversing, Riven heard some shouts from the hallway she and Maddoc had gone down. The Exile stood outside of the entrance, soon seeing two medics hurrying out with a gurney.

"Make way, move!" They shouted at Riven who stood to the side.

"Maddoc?"

On the gurney was Maddoc's body. The medics went into the room James was occupying and placed him on the floor. James noticed this and saw Riven run inside the room, falling to her knees before Maddoc's body.

"How bad is it? Can you save him?" She asked, sounding like a plead to the medics.

"We'll see what we can do, just give us space!" The medic replied before they got to work on Maddoc.

Another medic began to extract the bullet from Miss Fortune's torso with her wincing and groaning. James put his hand on Riven's shoulder and gave her a comforting look. Riven exhaled with a sigh.

Suddenly, an explosion was heard far above with the building briefly shaking, startling everyone. James's mind snapped out of his emotional state and he looked up with alarm.

"Evelynn…" He muttered.

Without thinking, James sprinted out of the room with his rifle gripped tightly as he hunched slightly.

Riven and Katarina called out his name with Sarah even trying to get up, but her wound was still hurting, and she groaned painfully. Riven looked at Maddoc's body and bit her lip.

She'd lost him. She wasn't going to lose James, at least not without her by his side.

Riven bolted out of the room too with soldiers yelling for both her and James to stop. Katarina cursed under her breath and bolted past the female guard, telling her that she'll deal with her later.

…

* * *

Culda stood in the grand hall of Noxian High Command. It was gloomy and dark in the large, cavern-like room. A few torches were lit along the pillars, but that was it. Culda walked towards the throne chair, her black marble case in hand. The woman stopped before the small stairway to the seat and opened the case. Culda sighed with a sensual smile as she gazed upon the Void Staff that'd been merged with her Luden's Echo. She looked up to the ceiling, and back at the staff.

"The time has come."

The woman grasped the handle with both hands, tilting her head down as she closed her eyes.

"Khalux… zooma… lathe… sanang... HEBA KOOZA!" She chanted.

Culda's hands began to glow with red energy that soon traversed to the staff, spreading from top to bottom of the object as what sounded like a build-up began to occur. Culda's brows twitched when she felt unspeakable power surge back into her body, illuminating her veins as she remained still like a statue. Culda didn't make a single sound.

_ **BOOM** _

Culda felt herself get blasted back from the staff with a yelp. She skidded along the floor, but stopped in a position on one knee, her hand resting on it with her other one sprawled on the floor. Culda could see that the staff was beginning to rise upward into the air. She then noticed that vapors of red energy began to retract from her body and converge into the staff. The tip of the staff began to glow red, and Culda's eyes widened with her mouth gaping.

Suddenly, a bolt of energy burst from the staff and shot right through the ceiling, raining down debris from the decently large whole that'd been created. Moments later, a spiral of clouds began to form as the energy was channeled into the sky. Culda's hair began to get blown from the sudden wind, and she could only gawk in awe.

She'd done it. She harnessed the power… and had begun to open the portal to the Void.

"Culda."

The woman's grin disappeared, but she also didn't frown. She smirked and turned around, seeing Leblanc standing at the entrance of the grand hall. Culda toothily grinned and brought her hands together as if welcoming them.

"Leblanc! So glad you could make it!" She said as if the woman was her party guest. "You're just in time to witness true power!"

"Where's Jericho?" Leblanc seethed. Her tone briefly baffled Culda, but the woman grinned.

"Oh, he's just right here. Really makes a fine addition to my collection along with the spider bitch." Culda giggled.

The woman reeled back her arms and threw two objects toward the group with squelching sounds when they hit the floor, bouncing a few times as a splat was left with each impact. Leblanc narrowed her eyes… and then fell to her knees.

One of the heads was Elise's, Culda having severed it after Leblanc lost it when the ship was destroyed. It made her feel even angrier.

Evelynn was lurking in the shadows far to the right with the intention to ambush Culda, but then she saw Elise's head. It made her temper flare.

Leblanc slowly looked over to the other head, and her mouth gaped.

She gasped when she picked it up, not having a care in the world if her hands got stained. Leblanc's amber orbs stared into the lifeless eyes of Swain. His head had been decapitated with a bullet hole right in the center his temple. The Deceiver brought it closer to her, some blood leaking from the head as it splattered her knees.

"At last… The Black Rose and Swain are no more." Culda mused. "Care to join them Leblanc?"

The Deceiver was whimpering, but she soon looked up at Culda with rage-filled amber orbs. Culda's crimson eyes narrowed with a smirk, and her hand began to move behind her back.

Several of The Black Rose members stopped waiting, aiming their staffs at the woman who reacted quickly, drawing her hextech pistol as her other hand lit up with her magic. Culda shot one of them in the head before rolling to the left to avoid a fatal blast. She shot another one dead and blasted the third one with her magic. The woman then had to duck down to avoid another attack that resulted in debris flying from the wall, covering Culda in the grey cloud. Culda scrambled to her feet, seeing Leblanc standing defiantly now ahead of her. Culda raised her weapon, but suddenly felt something sharp penetrate her hand.

Culda let out an exclamation of pain and her eyes locked onto the pink lasher embedded into her hand before seething and hearing a wisp in the air. Culda reared her head back as a second lasher flew past. Culda quickly followed the tentacle to its original spot and grabbed it with her hand, burning the object briefly before yanking it down with all her strength.

Evelynn yelped when she fell from a pillar, hitting the floor and Culda seething at her body. The woman suddenly felt her legs and arms get wrapped in golden chains, seeing Leblanc fire a blast of magic at her. Culda's head was knocked back, but the chains held her in place and she had a small scorched area from the impact. Leblanc disappeared and warped behind Culda and blasted her in the back, the woman's coat getting blazed up in purple flames. Culda growled and when Leblanc repeated the action, Culda used her nails to draw blood from her wrists while also avoiding the third shot.

Her abilities amplified and her hands glowed red, gripping the chains and breaking them apart with ease. Culda saw Leblanc blast her again and the woman crossed her arms in front of her face where a protective barrier formed. The impact staggered Culda, but she quickly chanted a spell and fired a powerful red beam of energy at The Deceiver who blinked away.

Culda heard movement to her right and felt something jab her shoulder. Her body lurched from the hit, seeing Evelynn try it again with her other lasher. Culda again used a shield to block the sharp weapon, but the succubus gestured with her claws and Culda felt sharp spikes penetrate her boots. She stumbled back to avoid more, but the spikes seemed to follow her movement with two more strikes. Evelynn then leaped into the air with her lashers sweeping in an execution manner. Culda dropped to her knees, the blades leaving cuts along her back, but when she stood up, Evelynn was behind her.

The succubus clawed at her back before attempting to slit her throat. Culda countered this with her hands, soon head-butting Evelynn to make her stumble back. Culda then balled up her fist that was glowing red again, and she sent an empowered strike to Evelynn's abdomen with such force that the succubus was knocked all the way into a pillar.

Leblanc finally reappeared again, and she chanted a spell that resulted in countless versions of her clones appearing and encircling a briefly baffled Culda. They all wrapped her in chains with Culda not being able to move this time. She growled and strained as the army of clones held her in place. As Evelynn recovered from Culda's attack, the woman's temper flared, and she bit down on her lip with her fangs, drawing blood in a hefty motion. Culda swallowed it and her eyes began to glow red as red crackles occurred around her body.

"CEDO TABA!"

A sudden explosion occurred from Culda's body that formed a red sphere that illuminated the room briefly. The clones were dissipated as Culda fell to her knees, her clothing burnt considerably, with her under armor being more visible and damaged.

Culda inhaled and exhaled sharply. Her hair was disheveled and dirty as she looked up, seeing Leblanc's staff glowing at the top. Culda stood to her feet as Leblanc sent a dark orb at her. The woman yet again balled her hand, and with a yell, managed to destroy the orb with her fist. Culda then raised her hand, sending an explosive blast at Leblanc who rolled, but Culda did a consecutive attack with her other hand and Leblanc was sent flying into the wall with a loud crash.

Culda, now dripping with sweat and a bloody mouth, marched toward The Deceiver and grabbed her torn clothing, lifting Leblanc off the floor.

"You always used to ask people if they were surprised to see you." She snarled. Culda looked back at the still channeling Luden's Echo, seeing that the clouds above had grown darker. She looked back to Leblanc. "I wonder if Jericho will be surprised to see you."

Without another word, Culda sprawled out her nails and embedded them into Leblanc's torso. The Deceiver silently gasped, her mouth gaped with a pained expression. Culda compressed her lips with a smirk and then dropped Leblanc to the floor. Her staff lay next to her as her amber orbs slowly closed. Culda let out a relief sounding sigh and turned around, expecting to see Evelynn's body on the floor.

It was gone.

Culda cocked a brow and felt a warm haze wash over her. She knew who it was, and she braced her hands together to block the twin pair of lashers hurtling toward where her nape would've been. Instead of retreating, Evelynn used the lashers to pull herself forward to Culda's position which the woman didn't expect. Culda parted her wrists, intending to blast Evelynn into oblivion, but the succubus tackled Culda to the floor where she began to rapidly claw at the woman who grunted. Several red streaks were left on Culda's face and when the clawing stopped, Culda saw Evelynn's canines extend and she reeled her head back before sinking her teeth into the woman's shoulder. Evelynn's teeth bypassed the armor, digging into Culda's flesh as the woman let out a pained yell. One of Evelynn's lashers dug itself into Culda's other shoulder, and the second one lined itself up with her temple.

Culda barely managed to stop the lasher, her hand closing down around the pointed edges that grazed her skin. Culda winced as she felt pain from every part of her body, and in an act of defiance and desperation, Culda focused all of her energy to a single hand. She balled it up, and before unleashing the empowered attack, Culda managed to sink her teeth into Evelynn's ear.

An audible hit occurred with a brief aftershock as Evelynn hit a pillar again with enough force to leave a dent. Culda writhed on the floor in pain, a small pool of her blood forming. She desperately ran her hand along her body, trying to find a pocket. Culda took out her last healing potion and unceremoniously poured it all over her wounds. Some sizzling was heard as Culda whimpered but soon sighed with relief as the potion did its job. She felt something in her mouth and spat out a piece of Evelynn's ear that she'd bitten. Culda let out a sound of amusement before looking at the succubus. She heard crackling above, seeing that the clouds had grown considerably darker now.

It was almost time.

"Ah Evelynn…" She said, beginning to pace to the succubus. "You know… if you truly saw what I was trying to do here, you'd probably love it. Bringing an event to the world equivalent to, or even greater than the Rune Wars. But alas… I can see why you don't want it."

Culda flipped Evelynn over firmly on her stomach, soon pressing her boot down on the woman's back. She took hold of both lashers, pulling them back far enough to make them firm.

"Your affection for James… it blinds you to the truth of what you are. It blinds you to your purpose, to what you once were." She said with malice. "And now, I'll be sure to remind you what you used to love instead of a weak mortal man."

Digging her boot deeper into Evelynn's back, Culda's hands began to yank back her lashers past the point of where it'd be painful, and she didn't stop there. She pulled them back further until she felt Evelynn's body arch up to follow, but Culda's boot didn't allow it. Evelynn began to do something she hadn't done in eons.

She began to scream… in pain… and agony.

The lashers were starting to make grotesque, small ripping noises, and Culda cackled madly.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE!" She roared. "AND THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL DIE AS! A SCREAMING BITCH WHO BEGGED A MORTAL MAN TO SAVE HER LIFE!"

Evelynn felt her lashers get pulled even further as pain kept piling up in her back.

Culda didn't let up.

"JAMES!" She screamed.

"YES! THAT'S RIGHT! SCREAM FOR HIM! NOBODY'S GONNA SAVE YOU!" Culda shouted.

"…"

"Culda."

A voice echoed throughout the room, at least to Culda. It blocked out the screams of Evelynn and Culda's own maniacal laughter. The woman stopped pulling on the lashers, slowly turning to see a familiar figure at the door of the Grand Hall. Her mouth gaped, and her eyes widened.

"James?"

_ **BANG** _

A gunshot sounded, and Culda was sent flying to the ground. Her body laid on the floor… a bullet wound in her eye. Blood leaked from the hole as Culda's body idly rested, signs of life trailing away.

Smoke hazed from James's sidearm as he kept it there for a few moments. He lowered it slowly, looking at Culda's body… and then to Evelynn's.

He bolted over to Evelynn's body in moments, crouching down and flipping her over in his arms. He placed a hand on her neck, feeling a faint, but live heartbeat. James took off his helmet's mouthpiece and pressed his lips against Evelynn's, filling her lungs with air as he kept cradling her in his arms.

"JAMES!" A familiar voice shouted from the doorway. Riven and Katarina shortly after ran into the Grand Hall, baffled by the current situation happening with the staff, but they saw James holding a woman's body in his hands. The Exile and The Sinister Blade joined him at his side, kneeling with alarmed expressions.

"Is she alright?" Katarina asked.

James didn't reply. He was too focused on Evelynn. He kept kissing her to refill her lungs and hopefully give her some energy.

Then, he felt her tongue mingle with him as her claws moved up to his head and cupped it gently. Evelynn sat up, her eyes closed, but when James pulled away, they finally opened. Her golden pupils looked into his, and Evelynn's mouth twitched with a smile.

"You came… you came back for me." She whispered.

James couldn't reply with words, choosing to embrace Evelynn tightly which she gladly returned. Riven and Katarina smiled before exchanging looks. A loud thunderclap and flash of lighting caught their attention, Riven standing up as the wind began to get blown around in the area.

"What the hell's going on?!" She shouted.

James finally registered the other situation in the room, Evelynn looking as well to see the purple-like vortex that'd been created. Katarina looked around, seeing the body of Leblanc nearby.

Nobody noticed amidst the confusion, that Culda was still alive. Her crimson eyes opened, and she weakly lifted her head to see the group of four people. Culda felt too weak to cast any more spells, but luckily, she saw her hextech pistol laying a few feet away.

She did her best to not make any noise, beginning to slowly crawl toward the weapon as her eye kept bleeding.

James finally let go of Evelynn, slowly walking toward the spot where the clouds hovered over. He looked at the staff, and back to the sky. Narrowing his eyes, he could see something moving inside of the vortex.

"What… the fuck…?"

Katarina helped a now conscious, but wounded Leblanc up with her groaning in pain. The Deceiver couldn't really speak, but her eyes fell upon a seemingly moving Culda. The others didn't' notice.

Culda gritted her teeth with a strained smile as she reached for her gun, and finally grabbed it.

"Holland…" Leblanc croaked.

Katarina looked at her confused but saw the woman point in the direction of Culda. The Sinister Blade followed it, and saw Culda on her back, aiming the gun at…

"HOLLAND!" Katarina yelled. "WATCH OUT!"

James abruptly turned to her, seeing Leblanc pointing to his left. James saw Culda aiming her gun at him with a toothy grin.

_ **BANG** _

James flinched, looking down to his body with the expectation to see a bullet hole, but he didn't.

Instead, he saw Katarina standing in front of him, her mouth twitching and presumably trying to smile.

"Holland..."

Katarina fell forward where James caught her, and in her back, she was bleeding through a bullet wound. James gasped with a horrified expression. He heard the click of an empty chamber as Culda realized that she was out of ammo. Katarina's body put its full weight on her as her legs felt weak, James cradling her in his arms as Culda kept grinning.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He roared.

Riven and Evelynn ran to help James set Katarina down and the man took out his sidearm, aiming it at Culda, but then a figure landed in front of him.

James's eyes became wide when seeing a figure that was roughly 10 feet tall standing in front of him.

"The first Void creature has emerged!" Culda said with a triumphant and crazed tone. "So begins my road to the ruler of this world!"

The creature seemed to have a reptile-like appearance, but also somewhat humanoid. It had several mandibles for a mouth with visible, conical teeth. Its eyes were purple along with its visible veins being a lighter color while its skin was dark.

"KILL THEM!" Culda commanded.

It was difficult to tell if the creature understood her orders, but the Void creature didn't seem fond of the five people in front of it, and it roared into the air.

"WATCH OUT!" Riven shouted as the creature raised its fists, slamming them down onto where James previously was, as he fell backward to avoid the attack.

"GET HER OUT OF HERE!" He shouted, referring to Katarina who was still bleeding.

The Void creature seemed to be focused on James as it repeated the attack, James rolling and coming up on his knees, his rifle drawn as he began to shoot at the creature. The creature's skin seemed to be tougher than the average humans, given that the bullets did embed themselves, but no blood came out. James reloaded while being forced again to roll. He saw the creature prepare another strike, but it suddenly fell to its knees while roaring in pain. He saw Riven dashing out behind the beast, her blade in a striking stance with green blood along the edge.

Now being able to focus in accuracy, James aimed his rifle at the creatures presumed temple and shot. The creature flinched which was an improvement over before and James saw minor blood leaking from the area. The beast roared and tried to get up, but a woman's snarl was heard, and the creature fell forward on all fours. Evelynn stood over it, her claws having green ooze along them. James growled and threw himself at the creature, the weak state allowing James to roll it over where he quickly began to unload his full clip, yelling as he glared defiantly.

Blood leaked from the creatures' head as James panted and calmed down. He looked back at Culda who seemed to be slightly baffled, but she soon grinned and looked up. Not one, but two beasts emerged from the portal, landing right in front of James with Evelynn and Riven not too far behind him. James thought quickly.

"TAKE IT OUT!" He yelled.

James lunged at the creature the same way as the other one with Riven giving her assistance, all of them grunting with the beast included. James repeated his actions, unloading his clip into the beast's temple with only half of his ammo used up. Meanwhile, Evelynn distracted the other creature, managing to inflict some damage to it, but it was more agile than its brethren. After a fatal miss, Evelynn felt her arm get scratched by the creatures claws deep enough to leave five red streaks on her skin. She stumbled forward with a pained cry and James turned to see the creature getting ready to squash the succubus. Yelling with rage, James leaped off the slain beast, his bayonet activated on his rifle and he brought it to the beasts' hands, parring and stopping the would-be fatal strike on Evelynn. However, the gun was also knocked out of his hands and James didn't react fast enough to avoid the beast's fist.

The impact sounded like a gunshot to everyone as James felt his ribs practically get crushed into oblivion, his mouth spurting blood as his armor became fragile. He was sent into the air briefly, landing on the floor with a long groan of pain.

"JAMES!" Riven screamed.

She felt her veins course with adrenaline as her blade began to glow. A metallic sound was heard when Riven's blade repaired itself once more and without a second thought, she lunged at the Void beast, her blade raised way back. The beast turned around with a snarl but actually stumbled back when Riven slashed it. She then swung from her left, then her right, and leaped into the air where she unleashed numerous, miniature blades that cut through the weakened beasts' body like it was butter. The Void creature let out a pained roar before collapsing onto the floor, its body severed in two.

Evelynn finally got back up from her spot, Riven turning to see James on the floor. She began to run toward him, but another beast landed in front of her, cutting the girl off from James.

"Goddammit!" She cursed.

Leblanc, who'd managed to regain some of her energy, looked at the situation grimacing. She looked at the still channeling staff that was holding the portal open and she groaned to stand.

James strained to roll over on his back, seeing his allies being attacked further by more Void beasts. He groaned standing up, slumping against a pillar for assistance. However, he was soon kicked from behind and hit the floor with a grunt. Culda emerged from the pillar, a smirk as she stared at James with contempt.

"Ah James… you tried, and you failed." She said putting pressure on his wounded body, James grunting. "Perhaps I'll allow you to watch your friends die and become just another corpse to pave my way to be the ruler of this world."

Culda forced James's head up, resting her chin on his shoulders as she grinned. Riven and Evelynn seemed to be struggling against the beasts as more began to emerge, though they were smaller in size comparison. James tried to get out of her grip, but Culda didn't let him. She then stole his sidearm and held it against his head.

"Culda!" Leblanc shouted.

The woman's eyes darted over to where she'd placed her staff. Culda's eyes widened.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Culda shouted.

The Deceiver didn't reply, just gave the woman a deadly glare. She put her hand in the crystal that was floating at the top of her staff and yanked it out.

"Something that I never imagined I'd do… but love can make a person do crazy things." Leblanc chuckled.

Culda's mouth gaped. "No… no you're bluffing!"

Leblanc laughed this time. "If it means that Jericho's death won't be in vain… then it is worth it."

James felt Culda's grip on her loosen as she got off him, aiming the gun at Leblanc who began to channel her magic into the crystal.

"NO!" Culda screamed.

She shot at Leblanc, but her aim was off, and she felt her gun-wielding hand get grabbed by James. Culda fired off more shots as they struggled over the gun with Leblanc dropping her staff on the floor. She stepped closer to the channeling staff and looked at the now significantly glowing crystal in her hand.

"This is for you… Jericho." She whispered before closing her eyes. Leblanc began to chant a spell. "Yanmee… Cedo… Tibi!"

Leblanc crushed the crystal in her hand with glows seeping through her fingers. With a yell, she shoved it into the channel of the staff, and then an explosion happened.

The entire building was rocked by the action as a purple bubble expanded almost in the whole room before dissipating. Everyone was knocked back, including the Void creatures who crashed into and destroyed a pillar. Riven and Evelynn fell back, landing next to Katarina who was rolled slightly. James and Culda, on the other hand, were sent flying back to a window at the far side of the room, Culda dropping James's sidearm when she hit the wall.

Everything fell silent, save for the inhuman breathing coming from the remaining Void creatures. The channeling of Culda's staff had ceased with her Luden's Echo, along with the Void Staff being destroyed as well. The portal had closed, the clouds slowly parting ways.

Leblanc was nowhere to be seen.

Riven groaned as she gained consciousness, her head pounding with a severe ache. She looked to her left, seeing Evelynn and Katarina laying on the floor unconscious. She looked up to see that the portal had been closed and disappeared.

"NO!" A voice screamed.

The Exile looked over to the far end of the room, seeing a conscious Culda on her knees, shoulders slumped as she put a shaky hand out. She seemed to be trembling… and whimpering.

"It's not possible! She closed the portal!" Culda howled. "THIS ISN'T FUCKING POSSIBLE!"

To add more to her state of frustration, Culda heard rapidly approaching footsteps by the entrance and saw the remainder of the soldiers loyal to the Du Couteau's hurry in with Vladimir and a now bandaged Miss Fortune.

"Holy shit, they saved the best ones for us!" Miss Fortune laughed upon seeing the Void beasts which actually baffled the Noxian soldiers.

The Void creatures began to shift and become aware of their surroundings once more. They looked at the soldiers.

"I don't know what the hell those things are, but they're not friendly!" An officer said. "OPEN FIRE!"

Culda's eyes showed horror as a tear slipped from her still intact eye. "NO! DON'T SHOOT THEM!"

It was a pointless protest. The group opened fire on the creatures who tried to charge, but the amount of fire they were getting pelted by was too much and they soon succumbed to the onslaught. Evelynn finally gained consciousness and saw James at the other end of the room.

"My James." She murmured.

The Void beasts fell to the floor. Medics began to rush into the room moments after, quickly taking a still unconscious Katarina to a better location where they began to get to work on her.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Culda screamed, now crying angrily instead.

She'd lost. She'd lost it all. She had all this power… and she'd fallen from her throne.

All because of her arrogance… and James.

"James." She hissed.

Culda turned around, seeing James's pistol on the floor and she grabbed it but felt a gloved hand grab her wrist. She looked up to see James staring at her with a scowl.

"You've lost." He seethed.

Culda's eyes briefly glowed.

"At least I'll have the pleasure of finally killing you!" She roared.

Culda tried to wrestle the gun away from James, but he held on. She grunted angrily and pulled on his hand. James kicked Culda in the groin, but she had a stronger grip than expected. The woman stumbled back from the kick and she tripped, falling and breaking through the window with James falling too.

Riven and Evelynn's eyes widened.

"JAMES!"

Bits of glass landed around and on top of the duo when they landed on a roof below the top floor. James's gun landed an equal distance between them both.

Culda saw the gun and scrambled to get it, but James tackled her down. Culda grunted when she hit the ground and elbowed James off her. Once more, Culda dashed for the gun, only for James to tackle her again, but this time he grabbed a handful of her clothing and threw her against the wall. James then turned her around and punched her with blood spurting from her mouth.

He attempted it again, but Culda blocked it with her own hand and delivered her own hit which made James fall to the ground. She lifted him up by the collar and slammed him into the wall where James retaliated with a backward head-butt. He grabbed Culda's arm and threw her over him, but he put more strength in than he intended and Culda was sent crashing through a window and landing in a hallway. James retrieved his gun and aimed at Culda who was staggering away. He missed her and she disappeared into a room.

James checked his clip and jumped into the building, landing in a crouching position on the floor, his pistol raised and on alert. He stuck close to the walls, kicking open every door to check which room Culda had disappeared into. When he was checking, James noticed stains of blood along the walls. He touched it and inspected the fluid.

It was still fresh.

_ **CLANK** _

James whipped around, aiming his pistol at the broken window. He narrowed his eyes but cautiously advanced toward the next door. He kicked it open, scanning the room for any sign of the woman. James advanced in further, and then he saw a few droplets on the floor.

That was his only warning.

Culda appeared around the corner in an elevated position, kicking James square in the face with enough force to make him stunned and stumble back into a table where a vial was knocked off and shattered onto the floor. Culda jumped down and kicked the gun out of his hand before taking advantage of his state. She kicked his stomach which made him hunch slightly before clubbing him with a right hook and then kneeing his chin. James hit the wall with his back but managed to avoid Culda's next punch and lunged forward where they hit the floor with Culda grunting from the impact.

She pushed him off, scrambling for the gun and managing to grab it, but when she turned, James's boot connected with her chin, Culda getting knocked back and dropping the gun. She lunged at James's waist to tackle him down, but he held her off with Culda growling.

She took her hands off his waist and slammed her hands into his kidney area. James groaned painfully and Culda pushed away his arms and grabbed his neck with her hands, beginning to choke him while simultaneously slamming him repeatedly into a wall. She then tried to throw him down, but once again James held on despite being in agonizing pain. He sent a strike to Culda's abdomen with her lurching up slightly from the impact.

James followed with an uppercut punch and knocked Culda against the wall where he kneed her in the same spot and then sent her falling to the floor with a left hook. Culda only rolled and got back up, managing to counter James's next attack and head-butted him. James stumbled back with Culda moving to hit him more, but when she found her attacks getting blocked and when she tried to club him again, James grabbed her arm and twisted it with the woman yelling at the pain. James then used the leverage to force Culda against a counter in the room where she lost her footing which allowed James to knee her bloody face twice.

James ran for the gun, but when he turned around, he saw Culda charging him with a knife she'd grabbed. He was forced to reel back from her swipe with Culda punching him that resulted in James pulling the trigger of his weapon that resulted in a misfire. When he aimed again, Culda embedded the knife right through his shoulder with James yelling loudly along with unintentionally firing off the last shot in the gun. Culda grinned maliciously as she pulled the knife out that dripped with fresh blood. James saw her swipe at him again, but this time he managed to grab her hand and push it down before raising his elbow and directing it to the side of her head.

The strike did its job, but when Culda fell down, her knife-wielding hand swiped widely which resulted in it contacting James's chest and bypassing the armor. His teeth grit together as an agonizing groan escaped his mouth, James's hand covering the wound that leaked crimson fluids moments later. He backed away from Culda who slowly got back up on her feet… and she cackled.

"Guess I'm not so weak now eh James?" She snickered, slowly turning around while standing to her full height. She had on a bloody, toothy grin when seeing his state. "Now if only I was this way when you returned home that night to Jade."

James growled at Culda who chuckled. His vision began to slightly blur as he tried to fight the blood loss. Culda started to limp toward him, being in no better state. She still had the knife in her hand and raised it.

"It's finally here isn't it?" She asked. "The moment that we've both dreamed about for so long!"

James couldn't move in time as Culda tackled him down with a burst of energy. He fell back onto the floor as Culda mounted him, still holding that grin. James tried to resist, but the knife started to get closer to him as his vision blurred again. Culda pressed her other hand atop hers, forcing James to hold it back the same way. It only slowed the motion.

"Oh, don't tell me you're gonna fall asleep before we finish!" Culda sneered. "Then again, you never could last longer than me in bed!"

James was panting heavily, his body sore all over from the extended conflict. Taking a deep breath, he took his hand off the one holding back Culda's knife with the weapon getting closer. He extended his right hand far to build up a hit preferably hard enough to knock Culda off, but before he could, Culda managed to press the knife against the center of James's chest, and with a cry, pushed her full weight onto the weapon with James moaning in pain before it turned into yelling.

Culda's grin grew wider as she kept pressing it deeper, and with a savage smile, she turned the blade with the hopes of it wounding more of James's interior. James grunted, but he sent a punch to Culda's cheek that knocked her off with a hefty amount of blood spurting all over the walls.

The two figures laid on the floor, bruised, bloody, and above all else… tired.

Culda had exhausted her magic in the Grand Hall, and James, well his stamina was on its last legs.

He heard a groggy, and sardonic snicker from Culda who he couldn't even turn his head to see. James shifted his body on its left side, pressing his hand flat on the floor to avoid rolling. He took a few breaths before seeing Culda crawling away from him. James put his hand on the knife embedded in his chest, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth as he groaned pulling it out with a little splatter on the floor. James fell flat on his back again.

"Ah… so weak and pitiful…" Culda sneered. "…just like Jade… and Elise…"

James clenched the knife tightly, but his body seemed to refuse his command to get up. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply a few times to build a second wind, and when he opened his eyes, James's body shot up and he impaled the knife into Culda's right leg. The woman croaked, her body arching briefly as she slowly looked at James with wide eyes. He was firmly holding the knife in place, and Culda snarled.

She slowly raised her left foot and kicked James square in the face with him falling back like he was made of jelly. Culda looked ahead again, seeing the fluid from the vial they knocked over during their fight splattered on the floor. She could tell it was a healing potion by its unique color, and she tried to crawl, but the knife stuck in her leg impeded her progress.

"FUCK!" She cursed.

Culda began to make animalistic noises as she reached back to yank the knife out. She screamed as the searing pain seemed to reach the farthest points of her body. When she finally pulled it out with a grotesque slipping sound, she felt it get kicked out of her hand and then was booted in the nose. Culda's head slammed into the floor, a pitiful whine and whimper sounding from her.

She saw James standing above her, fists clenched as blood dripped from his wound. His eyes seemed to flare and Culda no longer whimpered, glaring fiercely at him. Without saying a word, James grabbed Culda's collar and hoisted her up. She suddenly smirked, expecting him to spout something at her, but he didn't.

James showed her the knife, and Culda's brows furrowed before she felt it get wrenched into her abdomen. James exhaled sharply and leaned to her left ear.

"Yeah… feel that?" He hissed. "That's from Maddoc."

Culda's mouth began to spill out more blood as it gaped, her breathing ragged.

"And this is from Elise."

James pulled the knife out in the blink of an eye and shoved it into another part of Culda's body.

The woman gasped, and her breathing turned from ragged to grotesque, and inhumane. James pulled the knife out, Culda bracing for another stabbing, but it never came. She hears a clatter as James threw away the weapon, and she followed it. Despite her excessive bleeding, Culda again smirked.

"I knew it…" Her voice almost inaudible as her mouth was filled with blood. "…you could n-… never do it. Kill a woman… you once loved."

"I'm sorry you see it that way." James replied.

The man then slammed Culda into a window that broke open. Glass shards fell down the tall building as James held a dangling Culda over the deadly drop. She briefly looked down, seeing just how far the drop was.

It would certainly kill her.

Culda observed around before looking at James who kept scowling at her. The woman smirked and seemed to sardonically accept her fate.

"And this… is from Jade." He said bluntly.

James's hand released Culda, and she was dropped down from the eighth floor of the building, shouting, yelling, but above all, screaming at James.

The woman's body hit the concrete ground in the courtyard, startling a few civilians and soldiers who remained outside after the victory of securing the area. Culda's body created a dent in the ground, but every bone in her body had been broken from the fall.

Her head laid on its side slightly… with that smirk visible for all of eternity.

She was dead.

James stared down at where he dropped her for twenty seconds, before spitting and stepping back inside the room. Almost immediately, he began to groan and stumbled over, as his body was still bleeding with the wounds not healing. On his knees, James saw the limited amount of healing potion spilled on the floor, and he began to crawl forward, but he fell flat on his stomach.

His body tired, unable to heed any of the commands from his mind. James clenched his teeth, straining to use his arms to pull himself forward to the liquid… but it was an impossible fight.

When he raised up his hand to pull himself even further, James's body halted. Only light groans came from his mouth as his body shook. He moaned, and he began to fall limp.

Flashes occurred in his mind. Memories.

Memories of him with his childhood friend Vi in Zaun, who helped him design this armor.

Memories of him bonding and drinking with Riven and Katarina

Memories of him with Jade, laughing and just embracing.

Memories of him with…

"Evelynn…"

Those were his last words, before he hit the floor, not moving, or twitching.

James's body laid on the floor in a pool of blood. His head rested sideways on his arm as his eyes remained open.

"James?" A voice called out from the hallway. "JAMES!?"

A feminine figure soon appeared inside the room, noticing the aftermath of the fight with Culda.

Evelynn's eyes fell upon a familiar corpse, and her mouth gaped.

Evelynn moaned as she pounced to his location, wasting no time in flipping him over and holding him in her arms, her left knee used to support his head.

"James! My James!" She exclaimed, shaking his body to get any reaction out of him.

The succubus whimpered, pressing her ear against his chest. She didn't hear a heartbeat. She noticed a large amount of blood that'd stained his armor, and she frantically looked around for a solution. Evelynn then noticed a pinkish fluid on the floor, and her eyes looked at James before darting up again.

She placed him down gently, jumping to the source, lapping it up eagerly. Evelynn did some adjustments to her unique charm that would normally spread throughout any person's body with aphrodisiac and latch onto their cells like a toxin. She coated her fangs in the healing potion, and she leaped back onto James in the same position.

Evelynn reared her head back, her fangs extending as she brought her head down and bit on James's neck where his arteries would be. She made growling noises as she dug as deep as possible, desperate to spread the healing potion and maximize its full potential. When she deemed it enough, Evelynn pulled out and pushed any saliva that may have leaked out into the wound she created. She then covered it and looked at James again, hoping that he'd show a sign of life.

Seconds past, feeling like eons for Evelynn as she focused tensely on James's status. She felt like this was Elise all over again, but it ached and hurt her so much more.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Then, she abruptly heard a cough… and a sputter from the body she was holding. James's eyes were wide, his mouth agape, as he took in deep inhales to refill his lungs.

Slowly, Evelynn's mouth began to curve upward as she breathed, and sighed with relief.

James's breathing took several moments to calm down with his eyes in the same state of shock. Eventually though, he began to calm down… and his gaze seemed to soften when he looked upward… seeing the yellow eyes of his lover Evelynn.

Slowly, he raised his gloved hand, gently resting it against her cheek as Evelynn's eyes glistened.

She couldn't describe how she felt now.

Her hand moved over his, putting light pressure on it. While she couldn't feel his skin, the gloves touch felt warm nonetheless. James sighed before speaking with a smile.

"Hello love." He murmured.

Those words touched Evelynn's heart. It reminded her of the first time they'd met face to face. When she had him bounded up in her bedroom, the only intention to cause agony with pleasure before devouring him like any other victim.

But it wasn't just that.

Images of their whole journey together, and how far they came, starting from foes to becoming lovers made a tear slip down Evelynn's eye. Her mouth opened up with a warm, sincere smile.

"Hello_… love_." She whispered.


	28. Epilogue

A man's groan sounded in the darkly lit room. He laid on the bed with his well-built torso exposed while his lower body remained covered by white, disheveled sheets. In fact, the whole bed was disheveled. Two partially filled wine glasses occupied the small desk nearby with the bottle almost empty. Clothing laid on the floor in a careless fashion, giving hints of what happened the night before.

The man sat up, rubbing his neck tiredly as a few scars were on his back. They'd healed up, but still held some pain if you touched them the wrong way. He looked to the left, seeing that his partner wasn't present. The man had a feeling she hadn't gone too far, and the sound of running water from the bathroom confirmed that. He smiled, but then sighed.

The man stood up from the bed, putting on his boxers and pacing forward. Along the way, he stepped on something soft, and looked down to see a pair of black lace panties on the floor. He gave it a puzzled look with a smirk and picked it up, tossing it into the hamper as he went to the bathroom door.

The sound of the running water grew louder when James stepped inside the bathroom. He noticed the steam that stained the mirror from the warm shower, and then looked at the shower door.

It'd been fogged up and obscured most of the body of the woman that was occupying it, stopping at her neck. It seemed she didn't hear him come in, and James slid off his boxers, taking a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He walked to the glass door, slightly pulling it open.

"Morning." He said softly.

The woman had her hands buried in her white, no, her black hair. Lines of bubbles were on the floor while some cascaded down her shapely body. The woman slightly turned. She gave him a warm smile with those lovely yet eerie blue eyes.

"Morning." Evelynn replied.

James looked down to his towel and undid it just in time before he felt Evelynn take his free hand and pull him in. The man was doused with warm water from the showerhead which seemed to fog up the door even further after it closed. Evelynn tugged on his hand until they were in the middle of the shower. The succubus brushed aside a damp strand of hair, letting her fully see her love.

Her first true love.

She noticed the hint of sorrow in his eyes. Evelynn frowned.

"You alright my dear James?" She asked.

"Kind of." James replied. "Just feeling… a little overwhelmed… and other things."

Evelynn cooed while tilting her head. She pulled him closer to her, the woman's bust pressing the toned muscles of James. Their bodies made contact, and James could feel a heat from Evelynn's loins that was warmer than the shower itself. She sighed contently as she leaned in to kiss him.

"Did you eat breakfast yet my love?" She asked.

James chuckled, shaking his head. Evelynn's mouth gaped with a feinted surprised expression.

"Oh, my dear James! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe that YOU of all people would forget that."

He picked up the innuendo with her naughty smile.

"I got just the thing for you." She cooed, backing away slightly. Evelynn spread apart her legs. "It's delicious and most of all, it's natural."

James chuckled yet again. He shifted his gaze downward toward the glistening depths of Evelynn who stood with her hands on her hips, looking ever so proud of herself.

Hard to blame her.

Blinking with a bemused smile, James sighed and crouched down. He stared at the entrance of Evelynn, looking up at her with a look that seemed to ask for her permission. Evelynn stared back, moving one hand up to his scalp and running it along the short, fuzzy feeling hair.

"Don't be shy." She cooed.

She applied light pressure to his head, James getting the hint and getting closer to her core. He picked up a sweet scent, and he raised one hand to push away Evelynn's. The succubus smirked, bracing her hands against the tiled walls as she closed her eyes, waiting for the first lick as her stance broadened.

But it seemed to take longer than one would expect. Evelynn then felt James's fingers dig into her shapely rear. His fingers curled up, seemingly pinching the flesh and Evelynn couldn't stop a gasp from escaping.

"Naughty boy." She murmured with a heady chuckle.

James gave her butt a slap in response. Evelynn growled… and purred. He smiled, knowing how much Evelynn loved it when she was given the slightest taste of pain.

"I know how much you enjoy this." He said. Evelynn could feel his breath outside of her entrance when he spoke.

"Shut up… and eat your breakfast." Evelynn said with a threatening tone.

James couldn't deny such a request. He got closer, and his tongue came out.

Evelynn's body seemed to lockup at the first stroke of James's tongue. The man rarely did this with her which had crippled her ability for such a task. Evelynn felt ashamed and chose to count the number of strokes James's tongue would do as she pressed her body further in, with James giving assistance. The second stroke was the same, yet to Evelynn it felt better. After the third stroke, she lost count as the flat of James's tongue became the tip, circling the clit of the succubus with caring movements.

"My James…" Evelynn gasped. She put her hands on his shoulders after he stroked her again but remained against the wall. That is until James closed his mouth around her womanhood, applying suction. Evelynn lost her composure, stumbling forward where she dug her nails into his broad shoulders as her breasts heaved, resting atop his head. Evelynn was almost whimpering, audible gasps that weren't even.

She heard him chuckle, and Evelynn pushed herself up slowly, seeing James's brown and blue pupils with a smirk. The succubus cooed and lightly bucked her hips upward, silently begging for more. Evelynn then began to tremble when James gave more attention to her slit, diving into her opening.

He dove his tongue inside her folds, and he moaned at the taste.

James's tongue twisted and pressed into Evelynn as her arousal filled his mouth. The moans from the woman made him smirk, knowing that he and his actions alone were responsible.

The man then drew away from Evelynn, taking a breather like he'd almost drowned and Evelynn let out a soft whine. She fell back against the tiles, her legs still spread. James looked up at her.

"I can tell you're close." He chuckled. He got an idea moments later. "How close would you have to be to grab me by the head and just push me in there?"

Evelynn growled with frustration, but she was so aroused that any glare would be futile. She noticed the grin on her lovers' face, and she sighed.

"You're such a sadistic… and kinky bastard… James."

"Like that's not the reason why you fell for me." He chuckled. "You love it when I'm this way."

"Yes… Yes, I do." She sighed.

Evelynn put her hands on James's head again, gently pulling to tempt him back in. His refusal to do such a thing was hindered by a tsk of his tongue that she wanted so badly to feel again. The thought of just pushing him in harshly made Evelynn's cheeks turn slightly pink.

"Come… do it." James said, sounding like he wanted it too.

The Agony's Embrace sighed, and she pulled him back into her legs. James didn't falter.

James resume licking her with determination, pressing and circling her slit with his tongue with such skill that it soon brought Evelynn to her orgasm. Once again, she fell forward, her hands on James's shoulders as his crouching figure was the only thing keeping her from falling to the floor. She grinded her hips into James's face as she rode out her climax, screaming and wailing his name all the while.

She finally stopped trembling, but Evelynn's eyes were closed, mouth agape with an ear-to-ear grin. James showed her mercy, having lapped up what he could of his favorite meal. He retreated from her womanhood, planting kisses along her soft thighs instead as Evelynn remained aware of her hands on his shoulders.

When she came-to, Evelynn found herself looking at James who was still on his knees, though he seemed to have a sheen on his face that wasn't water. She gentle caressed his head, and James pulled back, looking up at Evelynn with a warm smile.

"You were correct about it being delicious." He murmured.

Evelynn cooed, taking her hands off James's shoulders as she slowly slid down the showers wall. She then sat up on her knees, matching James's height. She cupped his face gently, mouth twitching with mirth at the sight of him.

She'd made a mess on his face. Her arousal was not being washed off by the constant stream of hot water. Seeing him this way made her heart flutter. It's like it was proof that he was hers… or perhaps that she was his. Either way, it made her smile.

"Oh my James." She cooed, leaning to him for a kiss, tasting herself in the process.

As they kissed, James sunk his hands down around her curvy hips and tugged her in closer. His left hand sunk itself into the soaked black hair, gently petting her as Evelynn purred. Evelynn pressed her body heavily into his as James leaned back with Evelynn resting her head against his throat. She cooed at the warmth he provided.

"My love… My James…" She whispered.

"My love… My Evelynn." James replied.

…

* * *

A sigh resounded in the room, a woman in a heavy looking uniform standing in front of the circular window, looking out at the city of Noxus. She inhaled deeply, taking a moment of silence as the sunlight illuminated her while also silhouetting at the same time if seen from a different angle.

The door opened, the woman turning to see a man in a black suit with a white shirt underneath walking in, his shaggy brown hair becoming visible as he stepped into the light.

"Talon." The woman greeted.

"Katarina." Replied Talon.

"How are you feeling?" Katarina asked.

Talon compressed his lower lip, looking at his sister who got the message without word. Pain became evident on both the sibling's features and they embraced tightly. A tear escaped Katarina's eyes… and Talons.

Another figure entered the room, an advisor to be precise. He cleared his throat, catching the attention of the Du Couteau's.

"First Minister Du Couteau." He said, acknowledging the presence of his superior. "It is time."

Katarina nodded solemnly as the advisor left the room. She and Talon stared at the city, neither saying a word.

…

* * *

It'd been 6 months since the incident. Since the event that caused so much death and unrest in Noxus. The event which led to the losses of significant figures in Noxus, from Darius to Swain. The event that led to Culda Graves's death, at the hands of the seemingly late James Holland.

Leblanc's actions had closed the Void Portal, but her body was never found. She was presumed to be missing, but most figured she was killed. Once the confusion had been cleared and the wounds were patched, James revealed and exposed all of Culda's treacherous acts that led to this significant event, from her wounding and leaving him for dead to working with the deserter Roland Germez to seize power and reawakening Sion to murder Darius.

He kept the news of Jade being raped and murdered to himself. He didn't want to remember that.

However, after he revealed Culda's true intentions, James vanished without a trace and nobody knew why… except for a few select people. Katarina was one of those figures, and she understood James's decision to stay off the grid, but she'd requested that he come out… just for the memorial.

He agreed.

Having played a part in Culda's downfall, along with heroically taking a would-be fatal shot for James and overall given who she was, Katarina took the throne of being The Grand General of Noxus. However, she'd been affected by her own personal loss, and when seeing what just focusing on pure strength can do to a person, she made a few changes.

Katarina didn't call herself The Grand General, instead being The First Minister of Noxus. The changes she made were surprising, such as pulling back the Noxians stationed in Ionia, and moving to become a possibly more diplomatic region. Her vision of Noxus wasn't a complete 180 of Swain's, but it also didn't hunger for as much strength or power. Culda's ruling showed what that kind of thinking could do to a person's mind, and Katarina swore she'd never fall into that mindset.

With Leblanc missing along with Elise and Swain being deceased, Vladimir was left as the sole head of The Black Rose. The Crimson Reaper reached out to Katarina shortly after she became the new ruler, believing that it'd be a better choice for them to collaborate instead of plotting against one another. The Sinister Blade was confused momentarily, but she accepted the offer, agreeing given what happened.

Vladimir secretly wished he'd been more appreciative of Leblanc, Swain, and Elise's presence in the organization.

Noxus had been repaired over the duration, but a few select locations would remain barren and untouched. What remained of Culda's personal guard had faded and become, much like its leader, deceased. The few that chose to resent her were spared from being executed, but a majority remained blindly loyal to the mad woman.

Today would mark the memorial. A single, large memorial stone stood in the middle of the city, the citizens having gathered around it with hundreds if not thousands of Noxian Soldier's also present, some being Crimson Elites.

A woman with long, silky red hair watched from a dark corner far from the area, leaning against the cylinder. She wore an all-black buttoned-up trench coat. Her hair splayed over the collar, making her stand out very obviously if she was trying to be stealthy.

The woman then heard an approaching carriage and looked to the right, seeing a luxurious looking one being pulled by two dark horses. She knew who was residing inside.

…

* * *

James sighed as he looked at the mirror. He wore a black buttoned overcoat with trousers and shoes of the same color. Underneath the coat was a white buttoned shirt with a tie he'd just finished putting on. The man felt a warm aura enter the room, and he slowly looked at the upper right to see a reflection of an… apparition? It's glowing, malicious-looking eyes would make any person shiver in fear, but not James.

When he turned around, he didn't' see the same thing.

No.

He saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever known standing before him in the entrance to the bedroom. Even though she wasn't in a revealing or skimpy outfit, Evelynn always had a way of looking beautiful. Wearing a black dress, her shoulders were covered respectively with her knees mildly covered by the bottom of the clothing. She still retained that more human look with her black hair, but James didn't care what kind of appearance she'd put on.

"You look nice." He said with a little gesture of his hand.

Evelynn exhaled with half a smirk. "I usually prefer going naked, but it's good to mix things up now and then."

James chuckled. Evelynn approached him leisurely and reached up to his tie. James rose a brow and realized that Evelynn was adjusting it.

"What're you doing?" He asked.

"What's it look like?" Evelynn chuckled. "I'm adjusting your tie."

"I'm fairly certain it was already good enough." James replied.

"Not for this."

Evelynn then pulled on the tie that, if she hadn't tightened it up, would've come undone, but it didn't. James was caught off-guard and he felt his lips press against the plump, soft, and ripe lips of Evelynn. Eyes that were wide on him became closed as they shared a passionate, lustful kiss with moans from both. Evelynn's hands cupped James's cleanly shaved face as their exchange grew more heated.

Thankfully, they both ended it before anything else could escalate, both of their breaths frantic and hot. Evelynn took one hand off James's, taking his hand and clutching it tightly. James returned the favor, matching Evelynn's hand that lay against his cheek by brushing it alongside her head, the succubus sinking and pressing lightly into the touch.

"I don't remember what my life was like… before you came along." She sighed. "And I'm not sure if I want to."

James smiled at her words. "I'm not sure if I can say the same about remembering, but I'm certain that I don't want to know what it felt like." He said, a little crack in the end.

It would've sounded bad out of context, but James was talking about remembering what he had before Culda took it all away from him. Jade was gone forever, and he'd learned to move on from her… but he'd never forget her.

"James?" Evelynn asked concerned.

"Yes?"

"You know, I like it more when you smile." She said slyly grinning. "Makes me happy."

James quietly wheezed. "Yeah, I know, you like the happy ones. They have so much farther to fall."

Evelynn gasped before giving him a silly smile and lightly slapped his chest. "That's not funny, but it is true." She said, being playful at first and then serious. James blinked in response.

"Yes, you may have fallen. It seemed like I did ruin your life." She sighed. James wasn't sure if she was kidding now. "But when I look back now… perhaps it was merely just the tipping point before you moved onto a different… and better life?"

James exhaled, shoulders slumped. He moved closer to Evelynn, pressing his temple against hers as their heads tilted downward, both drawing out long breaths. James gently tilted Evelynn up by her chin.

"I'm not certain about that." He said calmly. Evelynn's brows knitted together. James began to slowly smile. "But I'm certain that if I could stop time, I'd stop it right here in this moment… and live in it… forever."

Evelynn exhaled once again. Her eyes closing as James's words affected her body the same way her charms did, except it was a warm, comfortable feeling instead of heating up one's blood.

"Oh James." Evelynn sighed breathlessly. "You're my everything."

James smiled again.

Suddenly, the two of them could hear the hooves of horses hitting the ground outside, catching James and Evelynn's attention. James looked at the curtained window, Evelynn doing the same. They both looked at each other, taking deep breaths as the pleasant feeling was replaced by one of sorrow.

"Come on, let's go." He gently said.

Evelynn nodded, and the couple walked to the door, each taking a bouquet of flowers as James opened the door. The light outside shined into the house from the entrance, both James and Evelynn shielding to adjust to the new lighting. James closed it moments later, seeing a carriage waiting for them on the graveled road. James looked around the area, seeing green trees that surrounded the isolated house.

He and Evelynn had been living here for the last few months, mainly as a place for James to recollect himself and his thoughts. Evelynn didn't care at all about the move; all she wanted was to be close to James.

He'd had occasional visits from his friend Riven, but those had seemingly stopped in the last two months. James had a gut feeling as to why, and he understood.

"Commander Holland." The driver acknowledged, tipping his hat. "Ma'am." He said to Evelynn.

James chuckled lightly. "It's Ex-Commander Holland."

The driver hummed with amusement. "Sorry sir, you're still a Commander in my book."

James sighed. "Thank you for coming all this way."

"Anything for you Commander." The driver replied. "We should be in Noxus within two hours."

"Excellent. Thank you." James said before stepping toward the carriage. He opened the door and stood aside for Evelynn to enter first. The succubus put a hand on her chest at his kindness.

"Such a gentleman!" She exclaimed playfully.

Evelynn strutted toward the carriage, taking a long step upward while making sure she did a pose to make her dress form around her shapely rear. James tried not to look, but when he didn't see Evelynn move in his hindsight, he had no choice but to address it.

"Help a girl out." She cooed, giving a little pat to her round ass.

James sighed in defeat, and raised his hand, but he extended his right foot over to the single step and then used his flat palm, which Evelynn thought would be buried in her bum, as leverage to hoist himself up and pressing his pelvis against her rear. James towered over Evelynn who gaped her mouth in shock.

"Get in there, now." He growled playfully before grabbing a handful of her soft, plump rear and pushing her in with a yelp followed by a giggle. James entered the carriage and closed the door. The driver commanded the horses to get moving as James settled down in the carriage, Evelynn in his lap after getting back up. The two of them said nothing as they watched the carriage enter the forest, watching their temporary and isolated home disappear behind countless shades of green.

…

* * *

A soldier opened the door for the carriage once it stopped in front of the walkway toward the memorial. A woman stepped out with crimson red hair as her eyes adjusted to the lighting. When she left the carriage, a brown-haired man followed her out, standing beside her respectively.

Katarina looked over to her right to look at Talon, and then mildly further to see the crimson-haired woman residing in one of the areas dark corners. The woman started to walk down the line.

…

* * *

A woman sat in a lone chair in the hospital room, a repetitive sound coming from the hextech machines next to the bed which housed a young man with quite shaggy brown hair. The woman's hair hung with her head, her posture a hunch that made one question if she was awake or just tired.

A knock came from the open door, the woman looking up to reveal herself none other than Riven. Her eyes were bloodshot with bags under them. She looked like an absolute mess.

"Riven?" The doctor asked. The Exile nodded solemnly. "You have visitors."

Riven's brow cocked up, and her eyes slightly widened when seeing her friend James enter the room, Evelynn soon appearing as well. Overcome with emotions, Riven stood up and hastily paced to James who met her in the middle. Her arms flung themselves around his back, holding on as if her life depended on it. Riven sniffled and whimpered, James rubbing her back gently to make her feel comfortable.

"Shh." He whispered.

"I'm sorry." Riven whimpered.

"For what?" He asked.

"F-For not… visiting you as of late." She said shakily.

"Hey, hey." James said calmly. "It's alright. It's okay."

Riven held onto James tightly for what felt like hours. She finally mustered up the courage to let go, taking a breather and collecting herself. The Exile saw Evelynn take a few steps toward her, the succubus's expression unreadable.

Then, The Agony's Embrace, slowly parted her hands, stretching them outward as an offer of comfort to Riven. The Exile was taken aback for a few moments, but she slowly approached Evelynn, and she embraced the woman tightly. Evelynn grunted for a moment, but slowly brought her hands up, giving Riven's back a few tapes of reassurance. The hug didn't last long like James's, but neither women cared.

"How is he?" James asked looking at the body.

Riven's breathing was shaky. She slowly turned to look at the bed.

"He's still in a coma." Riven answered. "Doctors aren't sure when he'll wake up."

James sighed. He walked over to the bed, putting a hand on the man's head. "You made it to the end of Culda's reign Maddoc… you'll beat this." He said, receiving no answer as expected. James turned back to Riven. "Has he shown any improvements?"

"The last time he showed any kind of progress was two months ago." Riven answered. James had a gut feeling that would be her answer. "But nothing's changed."

"I see." James replied. "Well, don't lose hope Riven. He'll come out of it eventually."

"I know." Riven replied, feeling like tears were going to reign her. "But the thing is… I'm not sure I'll be around to see it."

James turned to Riven. "What do you mean?"

The Exile sighed. "Katarina… she uh, she managed to talk to them." She answered.

James narrowed his eyes, but he came to the realization. "Really?"

Riven nodded affirmingly. "Yeah she did. It took some time, but she managed it. But they'd only allow it for a limited amount."

James's mouth gaped as he sighed. The man looked at Maddoc's body, and then to Riven.

"So, this proposal, it'll expire soon?" James asked. He received a nod from Riven and James's gaze lowered. "Riven, don't beat yourself up over making this choice."

"And what if I do James?" She asked, eyes now glistening. "I told him that he could follow me wherever I ventured to. Now I'm just proving that I lied."

"You didn't lie to him love." Evelynn stepped in, putting a hand on Riven's shoulder. She looked at Maddoc. "There was nothing you could've done."

"I could've protected him." Riven shakily said, sadness lacing her words. "Saved him from that brute."

"No Riven." James said. "You did your best. Maddoc knew what he was getting into when he followed Katarina. He knew the possible outcomes."

Riven exhaled, sighing.

"It's been six months Riven." James said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "You've offered as much as you can for him, and you can continue to do so. But ask yourself what you think Maddoc would want." He advised, speaking from experience and reconciling Jade's words to him.

The Exile's eyes glistened quicker as her lips quivered.

"I'm sorry." He said giving her a few pats. "I uh, I think we should give her some time." He said to Evelynn who nodded. The couple left the room to Riven who looked at Maddoc's body for a long time, her mind deep in thought.

Her hands clenched.

Riven slowly walked to the counter, getting a pen and paper, beginning to write as her tears cascaded down, staining the paper with the droplets that held sorrow and guilt. Riven walked back to Maddoc's bed, the note in her hand as she wiped away a few tears.

"I'm sorry Maddoc." She said, regret evident and vocal.

The girl put the note into his mildly open hand and Riven leaned down to place a long kiss on Maddoc's temple, feeling her stomach churn as several more tears escaped her clenched eyes.

"Goodbye… Maddoc."

Riven slowly walked away from the bed, and soon left the room, her spirit feeling broken more than that grim battle at the Ionian village.

As she walked away, Maddoc's hand still held the note she left.

And then… his hand stirred briefly… and nothing more.

…

* * *

James and Evelynn were in the lobby of the hospital, neither really saying much as Riven's situation occupied their minds, with even Evelynn not finding anything good about the agony emitting from the girl. They then saw her pacing down the hall, face red with mildly puffy eyes, but no tears this time. James noticed the large bag she carried, cocking up a brow.

"What's that?" He asked.

"It's just my bag. Contains some clothes and a few essentials." Riven answered.

"Oh…"

Riven hummed awkwardly, looking around as she still had some pent-up sorrow she wanted to release, but didn't want to force James into it. However, she felt his arms wrap around her in a tight embrace as Riven curtly began to weep again, dropping her bag unceremoniously in the process.

Evelynn didn't move, letting the two have their recollection. After all, she herself would probably be shedding a tear or two today.

…

* * *

Katarina walked toward the memorial down a formatted line of Noxian soldiers who saluted her as she walked past, Talon behind her and keeping close. Close to the end of the line were Crimson Elite soldiers, mirroring the actions of the regular soldiers. Katarina stopped when she reached the first of ten steps of the stairway to the memorial. She inhaled deeply, pushing herself up and repeating the action for the second step. When she and Talon reached the top, Vladimir was waiting for them, stepping aside respectively. Katarina looked at her brother who nodded and gave her a bouquet of flowers. The Sinister Blade paced to the stone.

**IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO WERE TAKEN UNDER THE RULING OF TREACHERY; GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.**

Those were the words engraved into the memorial with countless names of the victims who'd been killed under Culda's merciless ruling. Some were soldiers, other civilians, and a few were entire families.

Katarina's emerald eyes fell upon a name that knitted her brows together. She brushed her hand over it, pain evident in her features.

"Cassiopeia." She whispered.

The redhead placed the bouquet down in front of the name. Talon came up behind his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with rare hurt, and he was in no better state.

Katarina turned around, pacing to the podium that was left of the memorial. All the Noxian soldiers turned to her as she prepared her speech.

…

* * *

The trench coat wearing woman hadn't moved from her spot since Katarina had arrived at the scene. Her expression unreadable, but if one looked close into her ocean blue eyes, they could see a slight glisten. She listened to the redhead give her speech and looked down at her coat, opening it to reveal her own bouquet of flowers. She used her thumb to wipe the bottom of her eye and then heard some approaching footsteps behind her. The woman turned her head lightly, seeing three familiar figures joining her. Her mouth twitched with mirth.

"Sarah." The man greeted.

"James. Riven. Evelynn." Miss Fortune replied to James before acknowledging the two women.

"How're you feeling?" James asked.

Miss Fortune shrugged. "Feeling some emotions certainly, but… but I'm doing better than I imagined."

"Yeah." James sighed.

"How's Maddoc doing, Riven?" Sarah asked The Exile who was in attire like hers.

The Exile didn't answer, but she gave Miss Fortune a knowing look. The redhead somberly nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright…" Riven said trying to avoid tearing up again.

"If you don't want to go, I'm open to rescheduling when he finally wakes up." Miss Fortune offered.

"No, no." Riven objected sadly. "It's fine. It's what he'd… preferably want anyway." She sniffled.

"I think it is what he'd want." Sarah said reassuringly.

The four of them kept quiet mostly as Katarina's speech was nearing its close. The Grand General sighed as she took a deep breath.

"For us, the storm has passed." Katarina began. "But wounds are still evident, and some continue to bleed. Let us never forget those who dared to stand up against treachery, and that some who journeyed into that dark abyss, did not emerge afterward. As we move on and repair our wounds, such locations will remain barren and untouched, serving as reminders of those who paid… the ultimate sacrifice."

She stepped away from the podium, straightening her posture as Talon and Vladimir stayed where they were. Katarina observed a few soldiers who were by a few cannons aimed upward. She nodded.

"Ready. Set. Aim." An officer ordered as a few soldiers prepared to follow through. "Fire!"

The soldiers obeyed and fired the cannons into the air. The sound echoed in the distance, and they repeated it again, and finally, a third time. The cannon fire seemed to sound for miles, reaching every corner of Noxus and slightly outside of its walls.

Everything fell silent in the center of the city, the populace honoring those who fell with a minute of silence. When it ended, Katarina and Talon stepped down as others made their way appropriately to the memorial to honor those they knew like Katarina did with her sister. Talon kept a protective watch over his sister, even though he knew she was capable of fending for herself. The Sinister Blade looked mildly to her left, her emerald eyes meeting the silhouettes of four figures who resided in a dark area.

She gave them a nod.

An hour and a half passed before the city's center was less full, everyone having parted from the sight to grieve privately in their homes. Only a few Noxian soldiers remained, standing in defensive areas around the monument.

The four figures, who'd been waiting patiently, finally walked out.

Only three of them each held a bouquet of flowers.

They walked toward the staircase, the soldiers present there recognizing the man and they gave him a salute. He saluted them back.

James felt a hand gently take his, and he looked at Evelynn who appeared to be threatening to release a tear or two. He tightened the grip in response as Sarah walked toward the memorial. She knelt down and placed her flowers in front of the name that made a single tear escape when she read it.

"Rafen." She murmured.

Miss Fortune brushed his name with her index and middle finger, before standing up and pacing back.

Evelynn took a deep breath, her heart racing and ringing in her ears. She slowly moved away from James's hand, and took a shaky step toward the far right of the stone. Once there, Evelynn's fight against releasing tears had not worked in her favor.

The succubus felt like a knife was churning in her stomach. She didn't know how to describe it, but she felt awful.

Evelynn released two tears, and more followed as her lips quivered. She knelt to the engraved name of someone she'd never, ever forget. Her claws pressed against the name, and she then pressed her temple against it as she whimpered.

"Elise…"

Evelynn clamped her eyelids, breathing and heaving as sorrow spread in her body, beginning from her heart. A strong and warm hand contacted her shoulder, Evelynn's weeping curtly coming to a stop. She looked at her love James, and he kneeled beside her. Not too far from Elise's name was Jades. Riven's crimson eyes looked at its engraved letters, and when seeing what they spelled out, she frowned and kneeled too, though it was more like she fell on them.

James put his free hand around Evelynn's nape, pulling her close where their foreheads touched. Some tears slipped from James's eyes, matching with Evelynn's. Through their release of sorrow, James looked at the name that made Riven fall to her knees.

"Jade…"

James slowly put the bouquet of flowers down in front of it, and with his hand free, James put his hand around Riven's nape, and pulled her close with the Exile throwing her arms around him.

Miss Fortune wasn't alone, as Katarina embraced her with Talon doing the same. Vladimir watched with his arms crossed, and while he didn't shed a tear, it took all of his willpower to prevent the action from taking place.

The group expressed their grief audibly as the sorrow slowly drained from them. Amongst the six of them, James, Riven, and Evelynn were the most vocal.

…

* * *

"When did this happen?" A doctor asked entering the room where a few nurses were scrambling about.

"Just a few minutes ago! His heartrate was increasing first, but now it's declining! He's going into cardiac arrest!" A nurse exclaimed.

The monitor began to slow down significantly after she said those words, alarming the doctor.

"Shit we're losing him!" The doctor exclaimed. He turned to the nurse who was making up a solution. "How's that atropine coming along?"

"Almost got it, just one more moment." The nurse said before the tube was filled up fully. "Got it!"

She handed it to the doctor who went to the man's body. He rolled up Maddoc's sleeve and prepared the injection. He pressed it into the man's arm, pressing down on the pen to inject the drug into him. The injection treated the slowing heartrate, but it didn't stop.

"We're still losing him! Hand me the defibrillators!"

The nurse handed the doctor the objects while another one ripped off Maddoc's shirt. The man rubbed them together as the monitor fell flat.

"Clear!"

He used the device on Maddoc, and the monitor stabilized briefly.

"Stand by."

It fell flat.

"Clear!"

The doctor repeated the action, and déjà vu happened.

"Nurse give him some air!" The doctor ordered before preparing another shock. "Standby… clear!"

…

* * *

When the grieving for the group finally ended, Katarina requested that they meet at the Du Couteau Manor. The others agreed given what this day had brought them.

It'd brought sorrow, sadness, and overall, angst. But it'd also brought them something after releasing their pent-up emotions.

It brought relief, and more importantly, the ability to move on from such a significant and horrific event that would be embedded in their memories forever, especially Evelynn's.

They were all seated in the living room on several couches. Evelynn chose to lay on James's lap as a pillow which he didn't mind while Miss Fortune, Katarina, and Talon shared a single couch. Riven chose to lay back, her body sprawled over both cushions of the furniture. They all had glass beverages in their hands, most half-full or less. When Katarina gulped hers down, she vacated the couch and cleared her throat.

"I want to thank you all… for today. For being here alongside me, alongside each other… on this day of sorrow, and memories of the different levels of pain we endured six months ago." She said with a sigh before looking at James. "Holland, I cannot thank you enough for your heroic acts that put an end to Culda's ruling. I know you prefer to stay off the grid now, so you attending this ceremony has made my respect for you sky-rocket even further."

James nodded solemnly. "I can't thank you enough for taking that bullet for me." He said, a weak huff that sounded like a chuckle. "How's your back?"

"Still a bit stiff." Katarina answered with a chuckle. "But I'll take it over being dead."

Miss Fortune finished her drink, placing it down on the table which drew Katarina's attention toward her.

"Sarah… I know how much your ship, and your crew meant to you." She said. "I'm sorry that I dragged you into this six months ago."

"Oh, now you're apologizing?" Miss Fortune asked playfully, hoping to lighten the mood and to cope with her still present sorrow. "Well it's alright Kat, you giving me a fresh ship and crew made up for it. God only knows what would've happened if Culda remained the ruler of this place. Bilgewater would've been a target for her undoubtedly." The redhead finished with a sigh. "I am going to miss our little flings though."

Katarina chuckled quietly before looking at Riven who was deep in thought. The redhead chose to walk toward her, the Exile taking note and placing down the glass. Katarina put her hand on Riven's shoulder.

"Riven, I'm sorry about Maddoc." She said. "I know he's not making very good progress at the moment, but the second he wakes up, I promise I'll do everything in my power to get him to Ionia."

Riven shook her head before Katarina stopped talking. "No Kat it's alright." She said. "I don't want you to set aside more important agendas for personal favors. Besides, I'm sure he'll have forgotten about me by the time he wakes up, depending on how long the coma lasts."

Katarina sighed. She could see the devastation in Riven's eyes and chose to swallow the lump in her throat. She parted ways from the Exile as any further talk might make the girl break down.

"Evelynn." Katarina said, catching the succubus's attention. "I haven't known you long enough to offer any words that a friend would say, but from what I've seen with you and Holland... just make sure you keep him happy, and that he does the same for you. I saw how broken you were when… Elise died, but James seemed to fill that void. I'd hate to see that happen again."

Evelynn took a deep breath, and she sat up from James's lap. She took his hand firmly with hers and stared back at Katarina.

"I can assure you of that Katarina. And… I'm sorry about your sister."

"We all are." Talon spoke up curtly, the hurt evident in his voice. Katarina put her hand on his shoulder to show her support.

"Given the recent events, I'm not sure when we'll be seeing each other again, or if we ever will." Katarina sighed. "So, I just wanted to gather you all here, one last time, to show how much I envy and appreciate you all." She said before pouring them all a glass.

The six of them gathered in a circle, their glasses full of alcohol as Katarina took a deep breath.

"To those special people whose lives were taken; They may be physically gone, but they walk beside us every day… unseen, and unheard, but always near." Katarina said somberly.

They all gulped down their drinks without flinching or wincing afterward. Katarina didn't know what to say, or do now, and neither did anyone else.

Everything was silent.

Suddenly, a rapid knock sounded at the door, disrupting the silent ambiance and drawing their gazes toward it. Miss Fortune made for the door as she was closest with Katarina close behind. When she opened it, Sarah found herself looking at a panting soldier.

"M-… Miss Du Couteau!" He breathed, looking at Katarina after Sarah stepped aside. "There's something happening at the hospital that you'll want to see!"

Katarina was baffled for a moment while the words the soldier said became Riven's top priority in terms of curiosity. The redhead figured it out moments later, and she looked at the others before gesturing them to follow her.

…

* * *

"Alright, take it nice and slow." The nurse said, helping the man out of the bed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know how to walk." He replied.

"But you haven't' used your legs for six months. Their muscles still need to readjust." She stated.

The nurse helped the man out of the bed, and with the collaboration of another nearby nurse, helped him into a wheelchair. He wasn't very enthusiastic about that, but his legs were weak and needed time. The nurse pushed him out of the room and into the hallway where several doctors and nurses were pacing in various directions with overlapping conversations.

"So where are we going?" The man asked.

The nurse chuckled. "I believe you have visitors."

"Well the first thing I saw when waking up were you and the doctor. Thought I'd see an additional person."

"I got a feeling you'll be pleasantly surprised." The nurse chuckled again.

The man grumbled in disbelief. The nurse turned a corner, and then she stopped. The man asked why, but she pointed forward and he followed.

What he saw made his eyes squint, then blink, and squint again. He saw six people he was familiar with, some more vaguely then others. The one that caught his attention… was the girl with white hair.

His mouth slowly gaped as his mind searched for the name of this familiar face. The tanned skin and crimson eyes no doubt reopened a memory.

"Riven?" He asked.

Riven, who was holding a bag that contained her clothing from before, dropped it as her hearing went deaf.

"Maddoc?"

The Exile froze for a moment, and then briskly paced toward Maddoc who remained stationary with the nurse choosing back away a bit. Riven's expression was sorrowful with wide eyes that held the opposite. She knelt down in front of him to match their height, and Riven's eyes glistened in record time. She shakily reached for Maddoc's hand but didn't meet it entirely.

Maddoc got the message.

His hand closed the rest of the distance, and his hands entwined with hers, clasping over her palm.

Riven's heart fluttered.

Before, Maddoc's hands felt cold and lifeless.

Now, they felt warm.

The Exile, overcome with emotions, threw herself at him, and embraced Maddoc not enough to squeeze him painfully, but with enough force to show her relief. Maddoc did the same and Riven felt the sorrow she felt from earlier get overwhelmed by relief, and more importantly, happiness.

The five watched from the back, Miss Fortune's mouth curved upward into a warm smile while Evelynn grabbed James's arm with both hands, resting her head on his shoulder as he looped an arm around to her far shoulder. Katarina's reaction was the same as Miss Fortune's, and even Talon smiled, though his arms were crossed.

…

* * *

The sun began to set over the city, painting it in a beautiful mixture of orange and red. As the old saying went, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning."

Speaking of sailing, a ship docked in the harbor was ready to set sail. The occupants of the ship were, surprisingly, not from Noxus. They were pirates from Bilgewater, but these figures were under the command of Miss Sarah Fortune who stood at the docks across from a group of people

Maddoc had a pair of crutches pressing against his armpits to hold him up. He wore more casual clothing with a bag on his shoulder that was likely filled with the necessary supplies. Beside him stood Riven, no longer sorrowful or distressed, but instead, happier than she'd ever been.

Not too far behind stood James, Evelynn, Talon, and Katarina, smiles all plastered on their features, but James and Katarina's also had a pinch of sadness.

"You ready Riven?" Maddoc asked, extending his hand as best he could to take Riven's. She smiled and entwined hers with his.

"Yes." She answered.

The Exile then withdrew her hand and turned toward the four people watching her and Maddoc. She gave a nod to Katarina and Talon but didn't do the same for James and Evelynn. Riven sighed and paced toward them.

"James." She said approaching him. "I'm gonna miss you." She finished with a choke.

James exhaled softly, taking Riven's hand with both of his and holding it chest level.

"Riven, you're my best friend, and you always will be." He said with an assuring voice. "Regardless of what you're feeling, or believing right now, this is not goodbye."

Riven's breathing jaded for a moment.

"I don't know when, or where that will be, but I promise you this, we will see each other again." James said truthfully. "Of that I promise."

The girl stared blankly at James, and then threw herself to embrace him in the tightest hug she'd ever felt and given in her entire life. James grunted quietly as Riven's muscles flexed, mildly crushing him. James held that embrace for a while, and they finally parted ways. Riven looked at James, and then to Evelynn.

"Evelynn." She said catching the succubus's attention. "When me and James do meet again… I sincerely hope you'll be present."

Evelynn's mouth slowly curved into a friendly smile. She wasn't fond of hugs, choosing to extend her claws and shared a firm shake with the Exile who returned an equally friendly smile.

"Maddoc." James said. "Whatever happens, make sure you keep Riven out of trouble." He finished with a wink.

Maddoc rolled his eyes at the presumed joke. Riven laughed at James's words and Maddoc did a salute toward his former commander.

"We'll see you around." He said.

With that, Riven and Maddoc began to pace toward the ship where Miss Fortune awaited. The red-haired captain chose to take her own approach toward the group, and after a glance at Katarina, Sarah looked at James.

"I certainly hope I'll see you around too." She cooed, extending her hand for a shake which James obliged with. "You've got a knack for danger, I like that."

James hummed as an agreement and Miss Fortune pulled away. She followed Riven and Maddoc, boarding the ship and giving a good-bye wave to her friends.

They watched as the boat parted from the dock, beginning its voyage toward the land of Ionia. James watched the boat shrink in size, a minor knot in his stomach at the thought of not seeing Riven, Maddoc, and even Sarah for a prolonged period. He'd grown to like the busty red-haired captain, especially after she'd shown she was more than capable of staring death in the face.

He felt a hand take his and looked into the eyes of Evelynn. The man smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"So, Holland." Katarina said, clearing her throat to get his attention. James and Evelynn looked at her. "I take it you won't be sticking around Noxus much longer?"

James sighed, feeling guilty. Yes, he had no intention to stay in the city much longer and was almost set to leave. He liked being around Katarina, but the Empire itself had embedded more cons than pros into his feelings toward it, and he didn't like the idea of staying there.

"Sadly, I have to say you're not wrong on that assumption." He sighed. "I'm just not fond of it anymore. You've done marvelous things for Noxus Katarina, but the wounds for me are still there, and they'll remain there forever."

Katarina understood completely. "Don't worry Holland, I can see why. Your well-being as a person is more important than my desires. I'll have a carriage along for you shortly."

"Thanks Katarina." James answered.

"Oh, and Holland."

"Yes?"

Katarina opened her coat and took out an envelope that resided in a pocket. She handed it to James who hesitated for a moment to take it.

"It arrived a month ago and was marked for you." She said. "I'd have told you, but I didn't wish to disturb your... solitude." She finished, glancing at Evelynn who giggled afterward.

James took the note, surprised slightly. He couldn't recall the last time someone had written him a letter, or even sent something for him.

He looked closer, eyeing where the envelope had originated from, and when he found it, his eyes widened.

"Zaun." He read quietly.

…

* * *

"Come on, let's get you two lovebirds down to a nice cozy cabin." Miss Fortune said as she helped Riven and Maddoc go down to the interior of the ship. They passed by a few crewmen before reaching a comfortable looking cabin that was painted in a tungsten orange with a luxurious looking bed.

"Wow, this is certainly something." Maddoc said.

"Well I can't have a former fuckbuddy of mine sleeping in a hammock, now can I?" Miss Fortune asked, getting a playful glare from Maddoc and Riven. She winked at them. "I'm kidding you two lovebirds deserve to relax."

"Not really sure relaxing is what I need after spending over six months on a fucking bed." Maddoc joked.

"We appreciate it Sarah. Thank you." Riven said softly.

"Not a problem." Miss Fortune said proudly. "Say Maddoc, we never did get to celebrate you coming out of that coma. What say we do it now?" She asked with a smile.

That was actually a pretty good idea. Maddoc thought about it for a moment.

"Sure."

"Sweet! I'll be right back with the whiskey!" Miss Fortune said leaving the cabin.

When the redhead left, Riven and Maddoc were left alone. The man looked at Riven and then at the bed. He chose to take a seat with a groan afterward, Riven sitting beside him.

Maddoc wasn't' sure of what to say, and neither was Riven. The Exile took Maddoc's hand and their eyes met. Riven sighed as she mildly rubbed her thumb against his palm. Maddoc looked at her.

"I never thought I'd feel your hands this warm again." She said gently. "To hold them and feel a real pulse." Riven said before shuddering. "Can't believe I almost left it."

"Riven… don't beat yourself up over that." Maddoc reassured. "I'd have understood."

"Would you?" Riven asked, voice shaky. "What if you'd waken up with the expectation of seeing me there, but instead finding out that I'd abandoned you?"

Maddoc sighed. He'd already told her the answer. He'd have understood, but sometimes people needed something other than words.

"The note I left you. Did you read it?" Riven asked.

"No… no I didn't." He answered.

"Then how would you have known you'd b-"

Riven's mouth found itself being pressed against by Maddoc's. The kiss was like a breath of fresh air to the Exile. It'd been months since they'd traded fluids, and for Riven, it made what remained of her doubts shatter. The Exile moaned softly before the kiss ended. Maddoc seemed to be catching his breath.

"Because I know you Riven." Maddoc answered firmly. "I know that you wouldn't have done anything you weren't fond of unless you had no other choice. You leaving me a note would've been more than enough to show how sorry you'd have been, and I can assure you, I'd have understood."

Riven exhaled softly. One tear slid down her cheek, but she smiled. The Exile embraced Maddoc lovingly and he returned the favor. Some approaching footsteps were heard on the creaking wood and Miss Fortune reappeared with a few glasses and a bottle.

"My, my, want me to lock the door after I'm gone?" She asked playfully.

The two of them rolled their eyes. Sarah popped off the top of the bottle, pouring them a healthy dose of booze. They raised their glasses again and gulped them down.

Maddoc then felt a pair of lips contact his cheek, and he saw Riven looking at him shyly, blood filling her cheeks. He took her hand and clenched it tightly.

Riven did the same.

…

* * *

James had been mostly silent for the carriage ride back to his isolated home with Evelynn resting soundly beside him. The trotting of horse hooves against the gravel was the soundtrack for the transport. He'd exchanged an emotional farewell with Katarina and Talon, assuring that they'd see each other again, but not sure when.

The former commanders' reason for being silent was simple; the note Katarina gave him.

"Mmm darling." Evelynn murmured, waking up from her slumber.

"We're almost there." James replied, getting a soft hum from the succubus.

The carriage stopped in front of their house, James looking at it through the carriage's window. Evelynn made tired and adorable sounds as she shifted from her sleeping position. The driver opened the door before James did, doing a respectful gesture to show them toward their home.

"Thank you, driver." James said getting out.

"My pleasure sir." The driver replied. "Anything for the Hero of Noxus."

James grumbled, choosing not to give a retort to the name he didn't believe to be stowed solely on him. James couldn't have done it alone after all.

"We'll see you." James said as Evelynn left the carriage. The driver nodded and climbed back to his position, commanding the horses to get a move on which they obeyed. The couple was left alone in front of their rural house, the moon beginning to rise as crickets started to sing. The wind was blowing ever so gently, but it was enough to give them both a chill.

"Come." James said, sounding distasteful slightly.

Evelynn caught onto it. "James? What's wrong my love?" She cooed.

"It's… it's nothing." He said, looking at the envelope. Evelynn wasn't oblivious and she snatched the paper from him, James tensely looking at her, but deciding to let her see.

The succubus studied the object, unsure of what could've caused this distress in her beloved James before realizing the address.

"Zaun?" She read aloud.

James sighed. "Do you remember what I told you that night Evelynn? At the Blood Moon Festival?"

His voice held somberness and it made the succubus knits her brows as she pouted. She skipped over to his front, taking his hands with her claws.

"Yes. Yes, I do." She said softly.

"You know that I usually kept to myself. That my parents didn't care for me, and that I had only a selection of people I could call friends."

Evelynn nodded.

"So given that limited selection, it's likely my parents are the ones who sent me this. Amazing how they're even still alive." James said, waving the envelope to prove his point.

Evelynn nodded and her eyes narrowed downward as she thought about this.

James studied the envelope with both hands holding it side-to-side. He closed his eyes as he sighed, and his fingers twisted the paper slightly.

"Amazing how much people don't care about you unless you're either dead, or you do something significant." James said bitterly. "They haven't contacted me in almost 9 years, not to mention it took them five months to actually finally have the audacity to write me."

Evelynn could sense the churning feeling in James's stomach as his breathing became jaded, eyes glistening as the crumpling of paper sounded. The succubus swiftly, but gently put her hands on his again, but this time she was trying to pull them apart from the crinkly envelope.

"My James." She cooed. "Don't allow your anger to cloud your judgement."

The crumpling stopped, James's gaze fixated upon the object. Evelynn used her index finger to apply pressure to his chin, pushing him upward to eyesight. The woman saw the hurt in his eyes which made her pout.

"We've both had a couple trying days." She soothed with that seductive voice that could be gentle or sinister upon her choice. "Perhaps we should sleep on it?"

She smirked after saying those words with suggestive brow wiggling. James almost accepted that offer immediately, but he didn't. He clenched the envelope tighter as he inhaled sharply.

"No, I need to know what this says. I need to know why." He seethed.

After that, James felt a pair of plump, soft lips press against his, sweetness filling his cavern with his nose inhaling Evelynn's heavenly scent. The woman moaned softly as they exchanged fluids and then slowly distanced herself.

"If you do want to read it, then let us do it inside my love." She murmured. "I think you'll find it to be far more comforting."

James felt less anger when those words escaped her mouth. Evelynn took his hand, guiding him to the door of their housing with the couple entering it when James found his keys. Once inside, Evelynn dissipated into a swirl of shadows, reappearing on the couch with her regular skin color back along with her organic "clothing". James faintly smirked as he took off his jacket, leaving his buttoned shirt on. He got a fire going in the fireplace before approaching the couch. He intended to sit beside Evelynn, but the succubus stopped him.

"No love. I want you to be comfortable when you read this." She whispered.

Evelynn crossed her right leg over her left, the supple flesh flattening on the surface with her patting her legs. James looked at her blankly as Evelynn kept patting the area with her hand. Eventually, he obliged, laying his back on the cushion as his head rested on the makeshift pillow that was Evelynn's lap and thighs. Different colored pupils met amber orbs. Evelynn idly twirled her snow-white hair with her left hand while her right-hand brushed James's head, the fuzzy feeling of his buzzed hair making her pace increase absentmindedly.

"Whenever you're ready love." She cooed. "But remember my dear James… regardless of who it's from and if it's from the past, you can't let that destroy what future this may possibly hold for you. Live for what it has to offer, and don't let the past take it away."

James's eyes mildly became bigger. He never expected to hear such… wise words from someone like Evelynn. They made sense. Regardless of the person's reason for sending it, they must've done it for a reason that would benefit them both. James was curious about something though.

"Evelynn… how did you… come up with that?" He asked, baffled.

Evelynn giggled softly as she brushed James's head in a single motion that was slow and comforting. "It's something Elise told me… a long, long time ago." She said, voice choking slightly. "I never took it to heart, but now… I see why she told me."

James compressed his lips, his right hand reaching up to Evelynn's that was tangled in her locks. The succubus followed her hand down in James's grasp, and he planted a long, firm kiss on it. Evelynn smiled warmly at her love.

James opened the envelope, carefully unfolding the partially crumpled note. He swallowed the lump in his throat and began to read.

** _To James; Our beloved son_ **

** _Dear James; We don't expect you to take this letter in a warm way. As your parents, we've realized that when you were growing up, we should've paid more attention to you. We should've talked to you, communicated, and overall, be better parents._ **

**_When you left, we can't say that it left a major impact on us in terms of emotions, but that's because we expected you to come back after a few months. We never imagined you'd have been able to survive on your own for so long, but one could assume we're on _**fault**_ at that. After all, again, we didn't pay much attention to you._**

** _James, your actions from months ago have swept all through Zaun and presumably far beyond that. We learned of the hardships you endured, and that despite the insurmountable odds you faced, you came through, and prevented the deaths of possibly millions._ **

** _We're deeply sorry it took us this long as parents to realize how important you are as our son, not to mention writing this letter. We can't and don't expect you to grant our request, but we want to make amends with you James._ **

** _We want a fresh start._ **

**_Please come home _**son**_._**

** _Sincerely, and with much love; Elain and Dominic Holland._ **

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

James stared at the note for the longest of times. Evelynn watched him re-read it again and again for what felt like hours. The succubus didn't make any comment though.

Then, James folded up the note, and proceeded to slip it respectively back into the envelope. Evelynn's brow quirked up at the action.

James proceeded to get off the "pillow" and then the couch. Evelynn wondered what he could've been doing, but she cocked up a brow when he paced toward the fireplace. James looked at the note which he held with both hands. He then looked toward the dancing flames of the fire… and then, gently tossed it in the inferno.

His heart churned for a moment or two, before it returned to normal. This time, James felt a heavyweight he didn't know existed get lifted from him.

Sure, his parents may have meant well, but they never were really good at expressing their emotions. Even admitting their faults didn't convince James they truly missed him. If his actions had spread throughout Zaun, and the world, he didn't want anything to do with it.

"James?" Evelynn asked approaching behind him, putting her hands on his arms with her chin on his shoulder. "Why did you do that?"

James chuckled huskily. "You said that I shouldn't destroy what this may have held for my future Evelynn." He sighed. "I didn't see or feel any of that with this note. I don't want anything to do with them at all. If they truly cared, they'd have contacted me when I became a Commander of The Crimson Elite." He said, fists clenching mildly.

Evelynn pouted. She moved her arms to his waist to pull him closer. James's fists unclenched, and he calmed himself down.

"But it did make me realize something." James said, his tone curtly pleasant and cheerful.

Evelynn loved it when he sounded that way and it transformed her pout into a mischievous smirk.

"And what would that be my love?" She whispered into his ear.

James's hands moved around to Evelynn's glutes, taking a handful of her soft flesh as it spilled through the gaps between his fingers. Evelynn let out a soft purr as James turned his head slightly toward her.

"It made me realize just how much better this life I have with you is." He murmured.

Evelynn snorted. "So corny."

"I'm sorry isn't this the first time you've been in love?" James asked sarcastically.

Evelynn stuck her tongue out at him. "Who's to say I haven't heard others say that to their loved ones as I flayed them head to toe?"

Most would feel a shiver down their spine from hearing that. James narrowed his eyes as he smirked making Evelynn giggle.

"Ah, I love you Evelynn." He sighed.

"And I love you James." She cooed. Evelynn leaned in to give him a quick kiss. James smiled and kissed her back.

Sparks of passion ignited inside Evelynn, and she returned the favor again. James began to feel the spark too, but Evelynn's was building up more than his. James took his hands-off Evelynn's butt, turning around fully to make kissing her easier and more pleasurable. The two began to make-out in front of the amber fire, their shadows illuminated along the carpet with sounds of soft, muffled bliss.

The kissing grew deeper and deeper into levels beyond passion. Hands of the two began to travel the familiar body of their partner. James's hands went down to Evelynn's bulbous rear, grabbing both of her soft cheeks and kneading them. Evelynn purred and mildly growled at the action, her claws going around to his back and running up and down his dress shirt as a hint for him to take it off, but James was oblivious.

The succubus grew impatient, quietly growling, and then proceeding to embed her claws into James's broad back. The man yelped as his back arched slightly, but Evelynn's claws remained connected.

However, their kiss was broken with James's mouth agape. He soon looked down at Evelynn who was pouting before smiling mischievously. James glared playfully, but then Evelynn threw herself upward, pressing her lips against his as she moved her claws apart, a ripping sound happening as James's shirt was torn open again with five red lines left along his skin.

Despite the pain, James didn't growl.

Instead, he moaned, and a moment later, Evelynn felt something bulge against her thighs.

She cocked up a brow.

The woman broke the kiss, looking at James who was currently catching his breath. Evelynn's smile turned mischievous again, her index finger on her plump lips.

"You know James." She said feigning the knowledge of his newfound kink of being dominated. "I never once considered this, but for most of our relationship, it would seem like I've always been the submissive one. I never once realized…" She said, holding off the next word until James would question what she meant.

He took the bait.

"Realize what?" He asked.

Evelynn's eyes flashed, and she gave him a toothy grin.

Her lashers came into play, moving around in an unsettling motion. James's eyes darted between them briefly before they snatched him up and pressed him against the wall, Evelynn following up less than a second later.

"…that you loved to be dominated." She purred.

A moment later, James felt himself get thrown, not onto the couch, but actually… across the whole damn living room!

He grunted as he landed and rolled a few times, his torn shirt coming off in the process. Luckily for Evelynn, he landed in front of their bedroom. James winced as the newfound scratches Evelynn left on him didn't make the landing any better. He stood back up and saw the woman land in front of him, her long tongue out with a lusty, malicious smile.

Evelynn lunged at James who had no choice but to stumble back from the impact. Evelynn predicted her trajectory would've sent James tripping and falling onto their blue satin bed, but her calculation was incorrect. James's leg bumped against the bed, but the man was briefly filled with adrenaline and turned the tables (quite literally) by tossing Evelynn onto the bed with a spin.

The succubus giggled ecstatically as she bounced a few times on the bed and then saw James pounce her, pinning her down and beginning his assault of kisses against her neck. Evelynn purred and mewled delightfully which only spurred James even more. His hands traced the curves he'd never tire of exploring before one of them went down to Evelynn's ass that he grabbed carelessly to use as leverage as his traded fluids with his lover again. A ringlet of sheen made up from their saliva had accumulated around their mouths as Evelynn moaned joyfully and pitifully.

James's hand raced up and down her thick thighs once before grabbing her white hair, pulling it back with Evelynn being forced to follow as James attacked her neck with more kisses and then applied the same to her pillow-like mounds.

The man felt his body grow hotter and hotter, the blood for his succubus creating an uncomfortable tightness in his intact pants. James growled as it continued to grow, and Evelynn caught onto this as James pulled away.

"Ah, ah, ah!" She said playfully. "Allow me love."

James felt Evelynn's thighs wrap around him and in the blink of an eye, with a snarl from the blue woman of course, James found himself on his back that stained the sheets with the leftover fluids from his now dried back. Evelynn was now straddling him, and James was unable to seek the willpower to move. She leaned downward, her hands cupping his head as her lashers became supple, acting like ropes as they bound his wrists together.

"Ah, my James." Evelynn cooed, taking one hand for her chin to rest on. "I seem to learn more and more about you every day."

"What do you… mean…?" James strained, trying to break free from the restraints.

Evelynn laughed heartily. "Oh, the fact that you're a bit of a masochist." She cooed.

"Huh?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Don't play dumb with me darling." Evelynn murmured, crawling up further so her chin was above James's eyesight. She leaned to his ear. "You know what I'm talking about."

Evelynn licked the area outside of his ear before descending her mouth down to engulf it. James felt Evelynn apply suction to his skin which aroused him strangely. The succubus made muffled moans and coos as she proceeded cup James's chin, tilting his head upward as she kept servicing his ear.

"Evelynn…" James strained.

A muffled giggle was heard as James could hear the mild slurping of Evelynn's tongue directly in his ear. James's ear then felt cold as Evelynn released her mouth from it. The succubus made a small sound of curiosity and the next thing James felt… was a pinch on his neck.

"Urgh!"

Evelynn's fangs embedded themselves lightly into his smooth neck. James felt the familiar warmth of her mouth cover that area and Evelynn lapped up the fluids that flowed through the wound she'd created. She applied suction to the area once it slowed down.

The bulge in James's pants threatened to break out.

Evelynn put more kisses on his wound, and then took her hands off his head. She moved one down to his tight pants, feeling the bulging cock underneath his confined pants. Evelynn then used that same hand's index finger to delicately and skillfully beeline down the center. The fabric of James's pants stood no chance against the glowing clawed finger that silently cut through it like a hot knife through butter.

Minor rips sounded, but James exhaled with relief as he felt his little friend finally get some air. Evelynn licked her lips when seeing James's member standing fully erect, tall and proud. That's when she quirked a brow suggestively and took James's head from the side, pulling him into the crook of her neck with his mouth being pressed against her large soft bosom. Evelynn pointed a toward his cock.

"See that?" She asked. "That's a result of you being dominated."

James picked up the tease in Evelynn's voice. He huffily growled.

"That's from the foreplay in the living room." He retorted.

"Is it?" Evelynn asked. "I recall it getting bigger not a minute ago… you know, when you were being dominated?"

James groaned.

Evelynn pushed James away and put a flat palm on his chest while her other hand pushed his head further away, allowing her fangs a clear shot of his shoulders.

The succubus planted her fangs firmly on the hardened yet smooth skin, James hissing and groaning as she created more wounds across his chest by dragging her claws simultaneously. Shallow cuts of red were the result and fresh blood dribbled out. Evelynn pulled back from James's shoulder, her fangs stained red, and like an animal in heat, curtly pressed her mouth against the wounds on his chest.

Evelynn drank the fluids eagerly like she was dying of thirst while making feral sounds. James's chest heaved as his fingers created small circles of red in his clenched hands.

He didn't realize that a healthy dose of precum escaped from his occasionally throbbing member. The sticky fluids latched onto his heated flesh which created a slippery and glistening sheen.

James's heart echoed in his ear, and he felt Evelynn's hands grip his head tightly, pushing and holding him in a position where he was forced to look at his member. He was confused for a moment, but his mind was focused more given that Evelynn had stopped her attacks.

"Oh…"

"Aww, the man I love is a masochist!" Evelynn squealed. "You truly are the only man for me darling." She purred.

James almost rolled his eyes, but then felt a lithe hand on his manhood. Evelynn had blinked over to it, her hand firmly planted on the warm flesh. She seemed to be intrigued and looked at James with a sinister smile.

"So warm… and sticky." She said, taking her hand off the rod and spreading her fingers apart, allowing a hefty amount of sheen to reflect off the dark light in the room. James flopped down with a sigh, making Evelynn pout. She grabbed it roughly and squeezed, getting a vocal reaction from her lover.

Evelynn smiled.

Evelynn's nimble fingers slid up the entire length of James's shaft as they traveled up towards the bulbous head.

The succubus's eyes locked on her task.

"So big." Evelynn purred.

Her fingers curled around it once more, and an ounce of precum spurted out. Evelynn narrowed her eyes.

Leaning in, Evelynn ran her tongue from the base all the way up, grabbing every last drop. The sweet and salty taste made her thirst for more.

She resumed jacking James off as she gazed at the tip, desiring for more of the sweet taste to spill from it. Her wish was granted soon, more fluids escaping their prison.

"You taste so good, James," Evelynn whispered as she lapped at the pre-essence spurting from his manhood.

The muscle in her hand began to throb more and Evelynn could sense the rampaging lust in James's mind. She momentarily debated what would happen if she released one of his hands.

Would he turn the tables and grab her head, making her skull-fuck him? Or would he be gentle?

Evelynn made her choice, and she released one of the bindings on James. A few moments later, she felt his hand on her scalp, and Evelynn waited for him to presumably push her in.

But he didn't.

Instead, he tangled his hands in her white locks and scratched her gently. Evelynn purred.

"Mm," Evelynn moaned in her throat just as James petted her like he did a few days ago in the shower. The succubus's pink tongue worked feverously to glide across every square inch of the throbbing flesh in her hands.

"E-Evelynn!" James gasped, Evelynn's tongue continuously gliding itself over his tense loins.

"Oh? Getting close, are we?" Evelynn purred as her free hand coddled her lovers delicate loins.

The blue woman decided to slow her pace, and as she expected, James's grip on her head became tense. Evelynn managed to pull back however before she'd become trapped and James let out a grunt. Evelynn gave him a "No no" with a wave of her finger. Her lasher bounded his hand again, disarming him effectively.

"Not yet honey." She soothed. "This is the first time I've seen this part of you, and I can't have you covering this whole bed in your tasty spunk. Sure, I could take it in my mouth, but I don't think I could keep up."

"You've gotta be kidding me." James said, unamused beyond belief.

Evelynn giggled. "I could be so much crueler honey, but you know that I love you. Consider this payback for that first night we met. How you pulled my hair and slapped my ass as you fucked me senseless."

James groaned with an eyeroll. Evelynn took a step up as she strode toward him, her feet sinking into the mattress briefly. She towered over James, the shadows covering her body fading into nothingness. He caught a heavenly smell that filled his nostrils, seeing that Evelynn's lower lips had a minor sheen of their own.

The succubus crouched down in front of James, her breasts drooping as she leaned forward until their noses touched. She gently ran her palm over his head, cooing sultrily as she stopped being sinister for a moment and instead became gentle.

"I love you James." She whispered.

James was baffled by the shift in attitude. His heart skipped a beat, and he responded kindly. "I love you too Evelynn."

"I know." She sighed, now cupping his head and sharing a long kiss. It was gentle first and passionate, but James felt Evelynn's longer tongue swirl around his and take hold, making it her prisoner. His eyes widened as Evelynn laughed softly.

"Which is why I almost feel guilty for this."

"What?"

One of Evelynn's hands moved down to James's erect manhood, the man stiffening from the touch. Evelynn giggled as she slid her hand to his nape, pulling him in for a gentle, slow exchange of fluids as she jacked him off. Evelynn then took her hand off it, planting both hands firmly on James's shoulders.

He didn't make any disgruntled sounds, as the position Evelynn had taken was the one, he knew meant one thing.

James waited for his member to be consumed, eyes closed.

If he hadn't done that, he'd have been able to see Evelynn's teasing smile. She lowered herself onto him, and James's manhood was engulfed, not in her wet cavern, but instead… the valley of her bubble butt.

He moaned in pleasure.

Evelynn burst into fits of giggling.

"Huh?" James questioned.

"Oh James, you really, really want to cum, don't you?" She cooed.

"What're you talking abo-?!" He stopped when he saw what she meant. He almost rolled his eyes. "You're serious?"

"Well I mean I could stroke you with my lovely ass, but like I said, I'm not fond of painting this bed white. Say the magic words, and I'll comply." She giggled.

Evelynn raised herself up, releasing James's member from her backside. She then chose to prod it with her doughy cheeks, teasing her love who groaned. James eventually caved in with a sigh.

"Evelynn… please." He groaned.

"Please what?" She asked, feigning any knowledge of his state.

"Rideme." He mumbled.

"Huh?" She asked innocently.

"Ride… me." He grumbled.

Evelynn lightly slapped his head, pouting with her arms crossed, eyes narrowed in a fake glare. James swallowed his pride.

"Fuck… me."

Evelynn's lips slowly curved upward. She tilted her head. "Say please."

James's lips compressed.

"Please…"

Evelynn smiled with satisfactory in making him comply with his role. She planted her hands firmly on his shoulders again and kissed him passionately while mildly readjusting her position. She broke it slowly as she warmly smiled.

"Gladly my love."

Evelynn proceeded to fulfill her promise that she herself had desired. She lowered her warm, welcoming womanhood that James's cock slowly slid into. She gasped, and slightly whimpered pitifully as she felt her walls her pushed apart from James's girth. It wasn't often she rode him, so this was a bit new for her.

And she loved it.

When James's cock finally reached its halt, he felt Evelynn's walls throb around the intruder. He looked up to see her eyes closed, teeth grit together as her body was locked up.

Then, they opened, and were glowing as her mouth slowly became a sinister yet seductive grin.

Evelynn's womanhood had adjusted itself to become familiar with James's manhood, and she began to rise up where it almost left her, but then lowered back down as both of them groaned.

"Ah… My James…" She murmured.

"Evelynn…"

Evelynn repeated the motion, this time more friction and heat forming in the area where they became one. The time that took Evelynn to lower onto James became less and less as she continued to grow familiar with his size. Her own pre-cum had formed in her womanhood and this allowed the thrusting she was doing become quicker and smoother.

James felt his hand's feel free suddenly, realizing that Evelynn's lashers had disappeared due to her state of mind. James was almost tempted to tackle her and take control with her on the bottom, but he didn't. Instead, his hands dug themselves into the mattress, crumpling the sheets as both figures began to sweat.

Evelynn's eyes finally opened, seeing her loves state, and with a hazed smile, she curled her claws around his shoulders, digging into the skin that she used as leverage to pull him in for a passionate, sloppy kiss.

That didn't last long as Evelynn felt a sweet spot in her depths get contacted by James's swelling tip, and she threw her arms around his scalp, using it to help her rise higher and higher in order to make the payoff for lowering for rewarding.

James found himself in the valley of her large, sweaty breasts. They felt like pillows to him and he relished in the soft feeling, taking his hands off the bed and circling around Evelynn's back to help her.

"James! My James!" She exclaimed.

The way Evelynn's body slapped against James's mixed with her now frantic breathing. She arched her back with her hair flopping down, mouth agape at this incredible feeling of James filling her, the sweet spot now being hit regularly.

The head of the intruder within her womanhood as flexing rapidly. Evelynn knew James was close, and so was she.

Their bodies were coated in a sheen of sweat that stained the sheets around them. The bed squeaked as Evelynn kept riding James, and as she leaned back further, James finally pulled back from her chest.

He heard Evelynn cackle madly and found that her lashers were back.

His eyes widened as they did something that made his heart flutter.

They formed the shape of a heart.

"James! I'm… I'm getting…!" She howled.

"Evelynn!" James strained, putting his hands on her voluptuous curves to give her the last ounce of assistance.

The succubus whimpered and then fell silent for a moment, before letting out an orgasmic scream. She ran her claws down James's side, leaving several lines of red as she felt her climax reach its destination.

James felt his manhood become covered in a foreign warmth that he caught the smell of moments later. His teeth seethed as he grunted with an agape mouth, the built-up essence beginning to race toward its exit and then exploding right there in Evelynn's welcoming depths. Her inner walls were splattered with his white warmth, and Evelynn grabbed James, pressing her body against his as she kept thrusting to milk him for every ounce of his essence. She rested her hand on his shoulder as she pressed her head against his neck, panting and gasping all the while.

The couple remained locked in that embrace for a few minutes, still panting lightly from the end of it. James let out a groan as he collapsed back, Evelynn falling with him. She softly purred as she rested on James. There was no greater feeling in the world to her right now than to just lay on him like he was a pillow. Evelynn's eyes looked down at the area she'd ridden him on and saw some stains on the sheets.

She smirked.

"Ah my dear James." She cooed, getting more comfortable on his muscular and glistening body that rose and fell with steady breaths.

"Are you… alright." He said, tired from their deeds.

"I'm simply fantastic darling." Evelynn said. "Oh, I just love how… you manage to fill me every time."

James exhaled with a smirk. "I love you Evelynn."

"And I love you… you kinky, sadistic handsome bastard." Evelynn playfully growled.

James gave her a kiss in response, Evelynn smiling adorably at the little peck. She looped an arm around to his far shoulder, making the embrace more comfortable for her as she sighed at his warmth.

"I'm so happy right now." She murmured.

"So am I." James replied. "If only we could stay in this position forever."

"Why can't we?" Evelynn asked, sounding serious almost.

"Because I'm kind of thirsty. Gonna have to get a glass of water soon." James answered, humor in his tone.

Evelynn blew a raspberry and James chuckled.

"Sorry about the scratches." She said, feeling the new wounds she'd created.

"Don't worry about it." James answered.

Evelynn's eyes slowly started to close, but she still managed to speak.

"Will you be here when I wake up tomorrow?" She asked.

"What? Of course." James answered seriously.

"Good." Evelynn quietly giggled. "Because after all, succubus's do mate for life."

James smiled as he looked upward and yawned. "There's no part of that sentence I don't like."

Evelynn smiled as her eyes closed. "So, what do we do now?"

"How about we sleep on it?" James asked, tiredness also taking over him. "After all, we have all the time in the world Evelynn."

The succubus cooed in agreement. Her lashers came out, forming a heart-shape around them. The couple started to fall asleep, but not before exchanging a few more words.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Evelynn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed :)


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